M

VENATOR

y friend Piscator, you have kept time with

my thoughts, for the sun is just rising, and I myself just now come to this place, and the dogs have just now put down an otter. Look, down at the bottom of the hill there, in that meadow, chequered with water-lilies and ladysmocks; there you may see what work they make. Look! look! you may see all busy

dogs, dogs and men, all busy.

PISCATOR

men and

Sir, I am right glad to meet you, and glad to have so fair an entrance into this day's sport,

and glad to see so many dogs, and more men, all in pursuit of the otter. Let's compliment no longer, but join unto them. Come, honest Venator, let's be gone, let's make haste; I long to be doing; no reasonable hedge or ditch shall hold

me.

VENATOR

Gentleman huntsman, where found you this

otter?

HUNTSMAN

Marry, sir, we found her a mile from this place, a-fishing. She has this morning eaten the greatest

of this trout; she has only left thus much of it, as you see, and was fishing for more; when we came we found her just at it. But we were here very early; we were here an hour before sunrise, and have given her no rest since we came; sure she will hardly escape all these dogs and men. I am to have the skin if we kill her.

VENATOR

Why, sir, what's the skin worth?

HUNTSMAN

'Tis worth ten shillings, to make gloves; the gloves of an otter are the best fortification for

your hands that can be thought on against wet

weather.

I

PISCATOR

pray, honest huntsman, let me ask you a pleasant question; do you hunt a beast or a fish?

HUNTSMAN

I

Sir, it is not in my power to resolve you; leave it to be resolved by the college of Carthusians, who have made vows never to eat flesh. But, I have heard, the question hath been debated among many great clerks, and they seem to differ about it; yet most agree that her tail is fish; and if her body be fish, too, then I may say that a fish will walk upon land; for an otter does so, sometimes five or six or ten miles in a night, to catch for her young ones, or to glut herself with fish.

And I can tell you that pigeons will fly forty miles for a breakfast. But, sir, I am sure the otter devours much fish, and kills and spoils much more than he eats. And I can tell you that this dogfisher, for so the Latins call him, can smell a fish in the water a hundred yards from him- - Gesner much farther—and that his stones are good

says

against the falling sickness; and that there is an herb, benione, which, being hung in a linen cloth near a fish-pond, or any haunt that he uses, makes him to avoid the place; which proves he smells both by water and land. And I can tell you, there is brave hunting this water-dog in Cornwall, where there have been so many that our learned Camden says there is a river called Ottersey, which was so named by reason of the abundance of otters that bred and fed in it.

And thus much for my knowledge of the otter, which you may now see above water at vent, and the dogs close with him; I now see he will not last long. Follow, therefore, my masters, follow; for Sweetlips was like to have him at this last vent.

VENATOR

Oh me! all the horse are got over the river; what shall we do now? shall we follow them over the water?

HUNTSMAN

No, sir, no; be not so eager; stay a little, and follow me; for both they and the dogs will be suddenly on this side again, I warrant you, and

the otter too, it may be. Now have at him with Kilbuck, for he vents again.

VENATOR

Marry, so he does; for, look! he vents in that corner. Now, now, Ringwood has him; now, he's gone again, and has bit the poor dog. Now Sweetlips has her; hold her, Sweetlips! now all the dogs have her, some above and some under water; but now, now she is tired, and past losing. Come bring her to me, Sweetlips. Look! 't is a bitch-otter, and she has lately whelped. Let's go to the place where she was put down; and not far from it you will find all her young ones, dare warrant you; and kill them all, too.

HUNTSMAN

I

Come, gentlemen; come, all! let's go to the place where we put down the otter. Look you! hereabout it was that she kennelled; look you! here it was, indeed; for here's her young ones, no less than five; come, let's kill them all.

PISCATOR

No, I pray, sir, save me one, and I'll try

if I

can make her tame, as I know an ingenious gentleman in Leicestershire, Mr. Nich. Segrave, has