withal. Sundry
acts of Parliament are likewise made for their utter destruction, as also
the spoil of other ravenous fowls hurtful to poultry, conies, lambs, and
kids, whose valuation of reward to him that killeth them is after the
head: a device brought from the Goths, who had the like ordinance for the
destruction of their white crows, and tale made by the beck, which killed
both lambs and pigs. The like order is taken with us for our vermin as
with them also for the rootage out of their wild beasts, saving that they
spared their greatest bears, especially the white, whose skins are by
custom and privilege reserved to cover those planchers whereupon their
priests do stand at mass, lest he should take some unkind cold in such a
long piece of work: and happy is the man that may provide them for him,
for he shall have pardon enough for that so religious an act, to last if
he will till doomsday do approach, and many thousands after. Nothing
therefore can be more unlikely to be true than that these noisome
creatures are nourished amongst us to devour our worms, which do not
abound much more in England than elsewhere in other countries of the main.
It may be that some look for a discourse also of our other fowls in this
place at my hand, as nightingales, thrushes, blackbirds, mavises,
ruddocks, redstarts or dunocks, larks, tivits, kingfishers, buntings,
turtles (white or grey), linnets, bullfinches, goldfinches, washtails,
cherrycrackers, yellowhammers, fieldfares, etc.; but I should then spend
more time upon them than is convenient. Neither will I speak of our costly
and curious aviaries daily made for the better hearing of their melody,
and observation of their natures; but I cease also to go any further in
these things, having (as I think) said enough already of these that I have
named.[184]

* * * * *

I cannot make as yet any just report how many sorts of hawks are bred
within this realm. Howbeit which of those that are usually had among us
are disclosed within this land, I think it more easy and less difficult to
set down. First of all, therefore, that we have the eagle common
experience doth evidently confirm, and divers of our rocks whereon they
breed, if speech did serve, could well declare the same. But the most
excellent eyrie of all is not much from Chester, at a castle called Dinas
Bren, sometime builded by Brennus, as our writers do remember. Certes this
castle is no great thing