BEAR-LEADER

A 'bear-leader' was formerly a man who led bears about the country. In the Middle Ages and Tudor times these animals were chiefly used in the brutal sport of bear-baiting and were led from village to village. Performing bears were also common; their keepers were generally Frenchmen or Italians.
In Victorian times a 'bear-leader' was a colloquialism for a tutor or guardian who escorted young men of rank or wealth on their travels, such as young gentlemen on the Grand Tour.

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