Certes it is impossible to describe these curs in
any order, because they have no one kind proper unto themselves, but
are a confused company mixed of all the rest. The second sort of them
are called turnspits, whose office is not unknown to any. And as these
are only reserved for this purpose, so in many places our mastiffs
(beside the use which tinkers have of them in carrying their heavy
budgets) are made to draw water in great wheels out of deep wells,
going much like unto those which are framed for our turnspits, as is
to be seen at Roiston, where this feat is often practised. Besides
these also we have sholts or curs daily brought out of Ireland, and
made much of among us, because of their sauciness and quarrelling.
Moreover they bite very sore, and love candles exceedingly, as do the
men and women of their country; but I may say no more of them, because
they are not bred with us. Yet this will I make report of by the way,
for pastime's sake, that when a great man of those parts came of late
into one of our ships which went thither for fish, to see the form and
fashion of the same, his wife apparelled in fine sables, abiding on
the deck whilst her husband was under the hatches with the mariners,
espied a pound or two of candles hanging on the mast, and being loath
to stand there idle alone, she fell to and eat them up every one,
supposing herself to have been at a jolly banquet, and shewing very
pleasant gesture when her husband came up again unto her.
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