Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. XLIII.

What birds are good to make Hawkes of.

NOw wee must not thinke, that all birds of prey are good and fit to make Hawkes of, but onely such as are stout, and of a resolute cou∣rage, and are able to flye at anie bird vvhatsoeuer, either vvater-fowle, or land-fowle: of vvhich nature, there are tenne speciall and seuerall kinds, being sufficiently knowne of euerie one, and for the most part verie common to be had in Fraunce, that is to say, the Eagle, the Gripe, the Goshawke, the Sparrow-hawke, the Gerfaulcon, the Merlin, the Faulcon, the Lanier, the Sacre, and the Hobbie.

Foure of them flye from the fist, and kill at randome, as the Goshawke, the Sparrow-hawke, the Gerfaulcon, and the Merlin: and foure of them lye aloft in the ayre, as the Faulcon, the Sacre, the Lanier, and the Hobbie. As for the Eagle and the Gripe, they are not anie thing knowne in France. A great part of these birds (the Gripe onely excepted) haue the feathers of their traynes and vvings verie much glistering for the most part. All of them haue their beakes and tallons crooked, and they are almost like one vnto another, for they shew no difference, except it be in greatnesse, seeing likewise that their colour doth diuersly change according to their mues, vvhich cause them to be called Hagards, or Sores, all one with that which is vsually done by dried Her••ings, vvhich are called Sores, or red Herrings.

There are verie manie birds of the prey vvhich are rouers continually abroad, neither can it be learned well from what place or countrey they come, nor vvhi∣ther they goe: so that wee might alwaies remaine ignorant of what countrey our Hawkes are, vvere vvee not giuen it to vnderstand by them vvhich vse to bring Hawkes out of Italie, Germanie, and other strange countries. Such as bring vs Hawkes, doe take them for the most part with lime-twigges, vvhich is the cause of the crushing of their feathers, vvhich yet may at pleasure be taken away vvith vvarme vvater.

But whether they be brought from farre, or bred neere about vs, for to reclaime and bring them vnto the lure, first, they must not be taken out of the neast before they be strong, and growne pretie great ones, and able to stand vpon their feet: for and if

they should be taken away sooner, yet they must not be handled, but kept in a neast as like vnto their owne as may be. Afterward, as the time shall affoord, they are to be set vpon blocks, or vpon some pearch, for the better preseruing of their feathers from grating vpon the ground.

They must be fedde with liue meat as oft as may be, because it will make their feathers to put forth the better. Notwithstanding, the meat and flesh that is more than ordinarie good for them, is to feede them with the legges or necks of Hennes: cold flesh is naught for them: Beefe, Porke, and such other, are of too strong di∣gestion for them, and especially the flesh of night-beasts, that is to say, such as flie about in the night, and are ••••arce euer seene in the day time: such are the great Duke, the little Duke, the Owle, the Shrich-owle, and the Bat: for if they should eate thereof, they would die. The flesh of Pigeons, young Swallowes, and Mutton, is farre better for them. Hennes flesh, being swee••e and pleasant, doth trouble the belly of the bird, if she eate it cold: vvherefore, the bird that is greatly delighted with such flesh, might possibly forsake the game, and seize vpon Hennes, if she see any in her way as she is flying. Wherefore to meete with this inconuenience, you must feede the bird with young Pigeons, or young Swallowes: the flesh of Pies and old Pigeons is bitter, and bad for these kinds of birds: Cowes flesh is bad for them, as making them too laxatiue, vvhich commeth by the heauinesse thereof, vvhich causeth hard digestion. And if necessitie compell you to fe••de them with gros••e flesh, for want of better, let it be tempered and washed with warme water: if it be in Winter, you must presse it: and in Summer it must be washed in cold water. The flesh that you feede your birds withall, must be picked, that there bee not fat sinewes or veines left vpon it. You must not suffer them to eate whiles they will at once, but with some small distance of time betwixt, letting them rest in ea∣ting: and now and then you must hide away their meate, before they bee full gorged, and then afterward giue it to them againe: but when it is taken from them, and also when it is giuen them, they must not see it, for feare of making them bate.

Likewise it is good to make them plume vpon small birds, as they did in the vvoods. Yearely in the beginning of Autumne they must be brought downe by laxatiue medicines, if they be too high: as namely, by giuing them Aloes vvith their meate: vvhich must be of some good, liue, and warme meate, for otherwise they would be taken downe too much. After that they haue beene purged, you must prepare them for the game: and againe, when you are purposed to flye them, it will not be amisse to giue them casting of Towe, couered with flesh, and made in forme of a pill, and that at night, to the end they may cast it vp againe in the morning, with much more flegmaticke matter: for by this meanes they will become more healthfull, of a better appetite, more emptie, swift, and readie for the prey. Porkes flesh giuen them warme with a little Aloes, maketh the bird loose and to slice out readily: but you must obserue and see that she be put in a warme place after she hath beene purged, and withall, to feede her on your fist with some liue bird, for at such times her entrailes are much dried. They are discerned to be sicke, vvhen their fundament swelleth and becommeth red, as also their nosthrils and eyes. And thus much of the luring and reclaiming of them in generall: now let vs got vnto the particular.

Notes

• ••••purge the ••••d.
• ••cause her to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 out.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 declaring 〈◊〉〈◊〉 birds of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to be sick.