id of noisome beasts, as lions, bears, tigers,
pardes, wolves, and such like, by means whereof our countrymen may
travel in safety, and our herds and flocks remain for the most part
abroad in the field without any herdman or keeper.

This is chiefly spoken of the south and south-west parts of the
island. For, whereas we that dwell on this side of the Tweed may
safely boast of our security in this behalf, yet cannot the Scots do
the like in every point wherein their kingdom, sith they have grievous
wolves and cruel foxes, beside some others of like disposition
continually conversant among them, to the general hindrance of their
husbandmen, and no small damage unto the inhabitants of those
quarters. The happy and fortunate want of these beasts in England is
universally ascribed to the politic government of King Edgar.[1]...

[1] Here follows an account of the extermination of wolves,
and a reference to lions and wild bulls rampant in Scotland of
old.--W.

Of foxes we have some, but no great store, and also badgers in our
sandy and light grounds, where woods, furze, broom, and plenty of
shrubs are to shroud them in when they be from their burrows, and
thereunto warrens of conies at hand to feed upon at will. Otherwise in
clay, which we call the cledgy mould, we seldom hear of any, because
the moisture and the toughness of the soil is such as will not suffer
them to draw and make their burrows deep. Certes, if I may freely say
what I think, I suppose that these two kinds (I mean foxes and
badgers) are rather preserved by gentlemen to hunt and have pastime
withal at their own pleasures than otherwise suffered to live as not
able to be destroyed because of their great numbers. For such is the
scarcity of them here in England, in comparison of the plenty that is
to be seen in other countries, and so earnestly are the inhabitants
bent to root them out, that, except it had been to bear thus with the
recreations of their superiors in this behalf, it could not otherwise
have been chosen but that they should have been utterly destroyed by
many years agone.

I might here intreat largely of other vermin, as the polecat, the
miniver, the weasel, stote, fulmart, squirrel, fitchew, and such like,
which Cardan includeth under the word _Mustela_: also of the otter,
and likewise of the beaver, whose hinder feet and tail only are
supposed to be fish. Certes the tail of this beast is like unto a thin
whetstone, as the