Obs. Also 6–7 beare-heard, bearhard, bearard, berard, berrord. [f. BEAR sb.1 + HERD. Shakespeare’s Bearard, etc., are assigned to this, rather than to BEAR-WARD, to which some editors refer them, chiefly because he elsewhere uses bear-heard, and not bear-ward: cf. shepherd, formerly also shepard, sheppard.] The keeper of a bear, who leads him about for exhibition.
1589. R. Harvey, Pl. Perc. (1860), 14. Nor a bear-heard … to put his staffe in the mouth of the beare, or pull off these dogs?
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., V. i. 149. Wee’l bate thy Bears to death, And manacle the Berard in their Chaines. Ibid., 210. Despight the Bearard, that protects the Beare. Ibid. (1597), 2 Hen. IV., I. ii. 191. True valor is turn’d Beare-heard. Ibid. (1599), Much Ado, II. i. 43. Take sixepence in earnest of the Berrord, and leade his Apes into Hell.
1655. Gouge, Comm. Hebrews i. 13. Bearhards that have their Bears at command.
1860. Kennedy, Swallow-B., 14. It gave me over to the great bear-herd.
