They go sometimes a gallop, and sometimes an amble.

 

Of the Hunting of the Bear, and first of her nature and properties.

There be Bears of two sorts, one much greater than the other naturally, although they be of equal age, or how long so ever they live, but their properties and conditions are all one, saving the greater be much stronger, the which I account no difference of nature.

They are naturally very cruel and harmful unto all tame beasts, and are very strong in all parts of their bodies but only the head. A small blow on the head kills them.

They go to make in December, some sooner and some later, according to their rest and good feeding; their heat endures fifteen days and not past. When the She-Bear feels her young within her, she withdraws herself into some cave or rock, and there abides until she bring forth her whelps; therefore, you shall seldom hear of a Bear taken when she is with whelp. 

Sometimes, a Bear, especially a male, will keep close in his den forty days and nights without either meat or drink, having none other nourishment but only sleep and sucking on his toes; at forty days' end, they will come out, and though it be a fair day, yet will they enclose themselves again for forty days longer, always doubting the winter will yet continue, and lightly as long as any hard weather lasts, they will not come out of their dens. 

They are whelped most commonly in March. The most part of them are dead one whole day after they be whelped, but the dame so licks them, warm them and cherish them that she revives them at last. 

Their hair at first is more whitish than like black. They give them suck a month and not much more, and that is because their whelps are cursed and have cruel paws and sharpnails, and bite shrewdly; if they find not their fill of milk in the dame's teats, or that she remove when they suck, they will bite the teat and tear their dame with their paws, whereupon many of them kill their whelps, and bite them sore sometimes. At least as soon as the dame perceives they begin to wax strong, she gives them suck no longer, but goes abroad and preys or feeds upon anything she can find, then casts it up again before her whelps; by that means, she feeds them until they can prey for themselves. 

When they engender, they lie face to face.

They feed upon herbs, fruits, honey, flesh, milk, mast, beans, pease, and of all manner of carrion and vermin. They will climb a tree for the fruit, and sometimes in the winter or hard weather, when all these things fail them, they kill kine and other cattle to feed on, and yet few of them do so unless it be sheep, goats or such little beasts. 

If they be in good plight - and especially the greater sort - they continue in their strength and force ten or twelve years. They live sometimes xx years, but they oftentimes become blind, and then they cannot prey. 

They go very far for their prey, considering the greatness and weight of their bodies, and that is because they would not be found, but yet look where they prey, they remain and continue hard by their prey. 

If they be hunted, they follow a man, yet never run upon him unless they be hurt; but if they be hurt, they run upon anything that stands before them. They are marvellous strong in their paws, wherewith they coll in a man or a dog in such sort that many times they kill and smother them, or break their bulcks with the force. Their nails have great force, but not such as would kill a beast; but with their whole paw they pull a dog into their mouth, and then they tear him marvellously, for they bite sore, in so much as that if they get hold of a man's head, they will bite him into the brains, and as for an arm or a leg, they would crush it in pieces like glass.

If you strike at them with a sword, they will break and bear off a great blow with their paws. They are so heavy, when they be hunted they can make no speed, but are always within sight of the dogs. They stand not at a bay like to the Boar, but flee still wallowing as they can until help of men come in; and then if the hounds stick in and fight with them, they fight very valiantly in their own defence. Sometimes they stand upon their hinderfeet as upright as a man, but that is a token of dread and cowardliness; but being upon all four, they fight both the more strongly and the more stoutly, for then they declare that they will be revenged, and flee no longer. 

They have perfect scent, and smell further off than any other beast, unless it be the Boar; for in a whole forest, they will smell out a tree laden with mast. 

When they are overwearied, they flee to some brook or water, and there they be overthrown.

They may be hunted with Mastiffs, Greyhounds or hounds, and they are killed and chased with bow, boarspear, darts and swords; so are the also taken in snares, caves and pits, and in other engines. If two men on foot having boarspears or javelins, or short pitchforks, would stick well one ro another's defence and revenge, they may kill a great Bear, for the Bear is of this nature, that at every blow she will be revenged on whatsoever come next to hand. So, when the one has stricken the Bear, she will run upon him, and then if the other strike quickly, she will return to him again, so the one may always help and succour the other. 

They naturally abide in the great mountains, but when it snows or is very hard weather, they descend to seek food in the valleys and forests. 

They cast their lesses sometimes in round croties, and sometimes flat like a Bullock, according to the feed they find. 

They are able to engender when they be but one year old, and then they depart from their dames.

They go sometimes a gallop, and sometimes an amble, but when they wallow, then they go at most ease. When they are chased, they flee into the coverts and forests.

Their season begins in May, and endures until such time as they go to engender again; but at all seasons they be very fat both within and without. By that means, their season lasts longer than any other beasts.

When a Bear is hurt sore, and escapes the Huntsman, she will open and stretch her wound, yea, sometimes she will draw out her own guts and bowels to search them whether they be pierced or not, and by that means many of them die when they might well escape. 

When they come from their feeding, they beat commonly the highways and beaten paths, and wheresoever they go out of the highway, there you may be sure they are gone to their den, for they use no doublings nor subtleties. 

They tumble and wallow in water, and mire like unto swine, and they feed like a dog. 

Their flesh is delicate to some men's tooth, but in mine opinion, it is rammish and unsavoury, at leastwise it can not be wholesome. Their grease is good for the gout and shrinking of the sinews, and the better if it be mingled with other ointments.

Their feet are the best morsel of them, for they be delicate meat. 

Their skin is a fur, but very course, meeter to lay upon a bed than to wear otherwise. 

I have termed their fat grease, and so is it to be called of all beasts which prey, and of all deer and other fallow beasts, it is to be called suet, as also their feed is called feeding, and a deer's is called feed, as I have before declared. 

The Manner of Hunting the Bear.

The best fidning of the Bear is with a Lyamhound, and yet he who has no Lyamhound, may trail after the Bear as they do after a Roe or a Buck. 

You may draw after the Bear in the vineyards, in the hollow masty woods, and suchlike places, according to the season, and so you may lodge them, and run and hunt them, as you do a Boar. 

For the most speedy execution, you shall do well to mingle mastiffs among your hounds, for they will pinch the Bear and make her angry, until at last they bring them to the bay, or else they drive them clean out of the plain, into the covert. 

Never let them be in quiet, until they come to fight for defence, and by that means they are the sooner killed. For though the Bear bite a dog sore, yet they kill them not so soon as a Boar does. 

The reward may be made after the death of the Bear, as it is made at the death of a Wolf. 

Thus have I now - what out of mine author, and what by mine own experience and conjecture - set down the natures and hunting of as many chases as I thinl chaseable, yea, and these two last rehearsed, viz. the Wolf and the Bear, together with the Reindeer also, I have not thought good to leave out, although they be not in use here with us in England, since they seem by the description to be noble chases, and much esteemed in other countries. 

Now, let me set down the cures and medicines for dogs, when they shall either be hurt or fall into any surfeit, sickness or infirmities.