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. XLIIII.

Of birds of the prey in particular.

AMongst all birds of the prey, the Vulture (called of the Grecians 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and of the Latines Vultur) is the greatest: a passenger (or bird for a time) in Egypt: knowne in this countrey rather by his skinne and feathers, than otherwise, because the Skinners are wont to make stomachers to lay ouer the stomacke, and the Fletchers feathers thereof, to set vpon arrowes. They may be fed with small tripes, dead carkas••es, and out-cas••••ngs of beasts. Likewise some report of them, that ordinarily they follow Campes, because of the dead bodies. They can∣not rise from the earth to flie, except they first take their aduantage by running, or else take their leaue vpon some great butt.

The Eagle is called the King of birds: very vnhandsome to carrie vpon the fist, by reason of his corpulencie: hard to reclaime, being once wild, because of his boldnes, might, readines, and easie inclination to hurt the Faulconer in the fate, or elsewhere. Wherfore, who so desireth to haue him good, must take him in the neast, and reclaime him with coursing-dogges, to the end, that when he is to flie, he may follow them, that so they hauing put vp the Hare, Foxe, Roe-buck, or any other such beast, he may seize vpon it to stay it. He may be fed with any manner of flesh, especially of such beasts as he taketh and seizeth vpon. The Faulconer must be diligent to attend him well, be∣cause he is very apt to flie away: but that mischiefe may be preuented, by sewing the feathers of his traine in such sort, as that he cannot spread them to flye with them: or else by plucking bare the hole of his fundament in such sort, as that it may appeare: for thereupon he being driuen into a feare of the cold, he will not be hastie to ••o••re so high. The Eagle is knowne to be good and faire, when he is of a red colour, hauing deepe eyes, and a whitenesse vpon his head or back.

The Sparrow-hawke & the Goshawke differ not in any other point than in great∣nesse and strength: because the Goshawke is of a stronger nature, and therefore not so soone sick as the Sparrow-hawke: they are both of one kind, as are also the Rauen and the Iay, the great dogge and the little one, and both of them are of two sorts, either such as are taken abroad in the woods, or else such as are taken young out of the neast. Of this sort there is good choise to be made, in respect of their aptnesse to learne; as also of those which are fliers, but haue neuer mued their feathers, neither made any aire, or fed any young ones.

The goodnesse and fairenesse of a Sparrow-hawke is knowne by their being great and short, and yet hauing a little head and somewhat round aboue, a thicke beake, the eyes somewhat hollow, and the circle about the apple of the eye of a colour betwixt greene and white, a long and somewhat thick neck, open in the place where the reines lie, sharpe towards the traine, not very long, set with good and large feathers, hauing flat and short legges, sharpe ••allons, thicke and broad shoulders, long and small feet, blacke feathers when they are taken young in their aire, and which follow the old one from bough to bough, hauing neuer yet mued.

And though here, for the familiaritie and common vse we haue of them, I put the Sparrow-hawke before the Goshawke; yet it is to be vnderstood, that the Goshawke is a great deale the more worthier Hawke, both in respect of her beautie and comeli∣nesse, as also in respect of the worth & estimation of the prey she killeth: for amongst Faulconers, that Hawke is held worthiest which killeth the greatest prey: The Mal∣lard-killer be valued before the Partridge-killer, and the Hearne-killer before the Mallard: so the Sparrow-hawke, which is most vsuall for the Bush and Blackbird, at the most can aspire no further than the killing of a Poo••e, or a Partridge, cannot com∣pare with a Goshawke, which killeth not only the Partridge, but the Phesant, Hare, & Conie. Most of the French Goshawkes breed in Norway, but they are the worst kind,

and neither so valiant, sound or durable, as those which are bred in Ireland, especial•• in the North parts thereof, which are easie to bee knowne from any other countrie goshawke, by the ••lender and fine shapes of their heads, their exceeding quicke and sharpe looking eies, and the palish or sea-coloured greenenesse of their legs. As for the sparrow-hawkes, they are bred both in France, England, Ireland, and ma∣ny other countries, and very good and hard hawkes in all those places: yet are some ayryes better than other some, according to the scituation of the place, and tempera∣ture of the ayre, for such as are bred in warme climats, and where they pray but vp∣on small birds, as sparrows, robbins, wrens, linne••s, and such like, are nothing so valiant as those which are bred in cold climats and tall woods, where they pray vpon black••birds, iayes, pyes, and such strong and fiercer foule: neither is the ayre of the wood so good as the ayre of the rocke, because their pray being so neere vn∣to them, they do not labour or take that ••oyle which the other doth, and therefore are much more sloathfull of wing, and lesse giuen to paines taking: also the ayrie which buildeth highest and vpon the tallest timber trees is the best, because it shew∣eth courage in the mount, and those which build low and neere to the springs are worst, for it shewes a faintnesse of spirit and a sloathfulnesse in nature. Now though the best taking of either of these hawkes (as before I said) is when they are branchers, and are able to follow their dams from bough to bough, and to foot the pray which she killeth for them: yet some Faulconers loue to take them from their nests, as soone as they be disclosed, and to bring them vp in such maner, as they may know no other damme but their keeper, being persuaded that such familiaritie and long acquain∣tance with the man, makes them more louing, and lesse apt to take toy and flie away than the other by many degrees, and doubtlesse it is most true: yet these thus brought vp, and which are called of Faulconers Iias-hawkes, are nothing so valiant a•• tho••e which are taken long time after, and are called ramadge hawkes. Besides this, too much familiaritie or acquaintance with the man, makes them so ouer fond and do∣••ing, that they will neuer leaue crying, or making a noise as oft as they are either bare faced, or want any thing they desire: besides they will be so do••ing of the man, that you shall be a much longer time in entring them or making them foot the praie than the other, because they will expect euery thing from the keeper, and rather flie and sit vpon his shoulder than labour or striue for the pray which flies before them: therefore howsoeuer the care of holding or keeping your hawke fast vnto you, may intice you to esteeme the Iiaes hawke, yet you shall euer find the ramage or brancher much lesse troublesome, and fitter for your purpose.

The way to take them is thus: the birder must bee hid behind a bush, and before the bush a plaine or smooth aire, but foure square, and six sticks prickt downe about it of the thickenesse of ones thombe, and of the height of a man, three on euery side: to these stickes you shall tie nets of greene threed that is very small, and to them a small line or cord, which shall be at the commaund of the man that is hid behind the bush: within the aire there shall feede diuers small birds, especially spinks, or chaf∣finches, whereupon the sparrow hawke will not faile by and by very fiercely to flie into the nest, thinking to take the birds, but indeed becomming fast, and ouercast in the nets: then the birder shall take her, and bind her wings below, together with her legs and traine, that so she may not struggle or beat herselfe.

They are purposely woont to hide themselues in Winter vpon long poles, amongst high and tall trees, vnder some small and slender tree in some hedge row: they are re∣claimed by keeping them long, and oft vpon the fist, but especially at the breake of day: they must be fed twice a day, or once, as when it is determined to flie them the day following; for then she must be kept sharpe, that so she may bee the more eager vpon the pray: which likewise they will performe if they haue put off their gorge of the same day, which is perceiued by the emptinesse of their gorge. They mue yearely in March or Aprill, and at such times they must be kept in warme places, or in such places as where the South Sunne shineth against some wall. Their meat must be of good flesh, as birds or mutton, that so they may become very far: the sparrow

hawke is apt to flie away: but to preuent the same, her keeper must be carefull to do•• her no hurt, neither yet to gainesay her in any thing, being giuen to be disdainefull. When he goeth forth to flie her, he must not let her range any farre way off, because that if she mis••e of the bird she flieth at, she goeth for anger, and flieth to some tree, refusing to returne againe to her keeper: he must not flie her too oft, but content himselfe with what she can reasonably take, giuing her of her prey to feede vpon, that so she may perceiue and find, that her prey is something worth vnto her, and thereby become the more freely stirred vp to flie. The birds which she taketh, are the Partridge, Quaile, Stare, black-Bird, and other such like. For to flie her at smal∣ler birds, as the hedge-Sparrow, Linne••, and such like, is not good, because being naturally coy, and apt to find fault, it will entice her to carrie and flie away with the prey in her foot, to which they are more apt than any other Hawke whatsoeuer: and hauing once found a tast or spice thereof, they are euer after verie hardly reclay∣med. It is good to enter your Sparrow-hawke first at the Partridge, vvhen the game is verie young, and not able to flie either farre, or aboue one flight at most, that thereby she may get bloud quickly, and so be encouraged to flie the game home: vvhereas entring her at strong game, such as are able to flie farre, and oft, missing the first or second time, she will take such a distrust to her wing, that not be∣ing able to trusse or foot them at the first springing, she will presently turne tayle, and refuse to flie further. There be some that vse to enter their young Sparrow-hawkes at the hand Partridge seeled, in this manner: They take the Partridge, being seeled, and a long creance fastened to her feet, and then comming into the field, in a place likely for haunt, digge vp a round ••odd, and lay the Partridge in∣to the hole: then couer the Partridge with the sodd, so as it cannot rise, and to the sodd also fasten another creance: and then encouraging the Spanyels to hunt, and making such a cheerefull noyse vnto them as Faulconers are wont to doe in such like cases, on the suddaine plucke the sodd from the Partridge, and let her spring in the full view of the Hawke: then let off the Hawke after her, and hauing footed her, feed her very well vpon the same: and thus doe twice or thrice, but no oftener in any case, least the Hawke finding your deceit, and her owne ••ase, looke so much for it, that she will refuse to flie at any other game. And these flights are called traines, because they only traine or teach a young Hawke how to bestow her wing, and make her selfe victor ouer the prey she seeketh: yet these must be vsed but onely at the be∣ginning, and not often, for feare of the inconuenience before rehearsed. Some other old Faulconers enter their Hawkes at the Quarrie, which is, when an old Hawke hath flowne the Partridge to the marke, and is vpon her wing readie to attend the retriue, then to let in the yong Hawke to the old, that they may both come to the death of the Partridge together. This is also a good manner of entring of Hawkes▪ but is fitter and more oftener vsed for entring of Hawkes at the riuer, than at the field, because those often stoopings at the riuer makes a Hawke more expert and cunning, and she stan∣deth in much more need of instruction and example in that▪ than in the other.

There must great care be had to heale her when she is sicke. If she ••all into an ague after much flight, or by reason of other accidents, she must be set in coole places, vpon some pearch, wrapped about with wet clothes, and feed her a little and often with the flesh of little Chickens, first soaked in vvater, vvherein haue beene steeped the seedes of Cucumbers or Gourds. If she be ouer-cooled, she must be ••et in warme places, and fed with the flesh of some Cockrell or Pigeons soaked in vvine, or in the decoction of Sage, Mari••rome, or such other Hearbes. If she haue lice, you must annoint her pearch with the iuice of Nightshade or Wormewood. If she haue the vvormes i•• her belly, you must powder her meat with the powder of Peach-tree leaues. If she digest her meat ill, and keepe it altogether, you must make her swallow ••••wne the heart of a frogge into her throat, pulling the same backe againe by and by, being held by a small thred, for so you shall make her c••st all her meat. If she haue the gowt in her wings or legges, you must let her bleed some few droppes of bloud vpon the veine that is vnder her wing or thigh. If she haue the gowt in her foot, you must

annoint her feet with the iuice of the herbe, called in French Lectorelle, as also, her pearch, annointing the place afterward with tallow.

If she bee troubled with the frounce, or mouth canker, you shall wash the ••ore with allome and strong vineger, beaten together till they be as thicke as puddle. If you will prepare her stomake for the receiuing of a purge, and both comfort and strengthen it, you shall wash her meate in water, in which cloues and licoras haue beene steept: if you will purge her stomake, you shall giue her Aloes: if you will purge her liuer, you shall giue her Rubarbe: if you will purge her kidnes, or take away the shortnesse of breath, or kill wormes, giue her Agaricke: if you will purge her of her gripings in the bodie, or take away the pantas, or kill fellanders, giue her Rewe or herbe of grace: if you will comfort the heart, or fortifie the lungs, giue her Saffron: to clense away all putrifaction, giue her Myrthe: if you will purge her head, take away windinesse, or what griefe commeth of cold causes, giue her Mustard-seed: if you will purge from her grosse humours, giue her wormewood: for any disease of the liuer whatsoeuer, there is nothing better, than to wash her meate in the water of Liuerworte: for any inward inflammation, wish her meate in the water of Sorrell: for the casting of her gordge, and to strengthen the stomak againe, wash her meate in the iuice of Mints, or the distilled water thereof: for all dulnesse of spirit, and sadnesse of heart, wash her meate in the water or iuice of burrage, or buglosse: to molli••ie the hardnesse of the liuer, or any other oppellati∣ons, giue her the iuice of Hearts-tongue: to make away obstructions, or stoppings in the head, giue her either Ros••marie, or the water thereof: for the weakenesse of the sinewes, trembling of members, or for cramps, swellings, soares, or canker, giue her sage-bruise outwardly, or the iuice inwardly: for pur••inesse, or short breath▪ giue her the iuice of Horehound: for the numbnesse or stiffenesse of ioines, cankers, or sores, bathe them in the decoction o•• of woodbine: for all manner of infection, poyson, or inward bruises, giue her the herbe Cardus Benedictus, which herbe, you may giue either greene, or dryed, either the iuice, or the powder, or if you please, you may giue the distilled water: for the biting of any mad dogge, or any other venimous beast, annoynt the place either with Angelica, or the iuice of an onion: for any extreame drought or heate which is in the stomake, wash all her meate in the decoction of French Barley: for any Fistula, or cankorous sore, take Brimstone: for the Pantas, take Butter and Rose-water: for the Crampe, take Poli∣podie of the oake, or the iuice of Brianie, or of Garlicke, or where they faile, take the powder of the rootes of Pionie, and let the Hawke smell to the same, or pounce her na••es therewith: for the falling sicknesse, wash her meat in the iuice of Pel∣litorie of Spaine: for the pinne in the foot, make her a plaister of Galbanum, white pitch, and Venice-turpentine, and applie it to the same: Lastly for the Rie, which is a disease of all other, most common and incident to all manner of hawkes, but especially to these short winged hawkes, you shall take a rumpe of mutton, and cut away the fat which is about it, very cleane, and then foulding the same in a handfull of parceley, let your hawke feed and tire herselfe thereupon at her pleasure, and it will make the filth to issue and come forth out of her nares, and purge her head wonderfully.

The Faulcon (as we haue said) in the art of hawking, is sometimes a generall word taken for all kinds of hawks, sometimes it is taken for a speciall word, and according to that sence, there are diuers sorts of that name, which I omit to intreat seuerally of, because of such as haue written of the nature of birds: but howsoeuer, the Faulcon is the prince of the birds of pray (I meane in respect of flight) for her stoutnesse and great courage, and is to be accounted of great value, when she hath a round head, and the top of her head is full, her beake short and thicke, her nostrels great and open, her eie browes high and thicke, her eies great and cloaked, a long necke, a high brest, large shoulders, the feathers of her wings thinne, long thighes, short and chicke legs, greene, great, and well spred feet, blacke, sharpe, and pearching ••alon••: and which i•• for bignesse neither too great nor too little.

The Faulcon, as all other birds of prey, hath her Tiercelet, and they are called of the Latines Pomiliones, that is to say, small birds, resembling them, and nothing diffe∣ring from them, saue onely in greatnesse: and they are all of them (as it were) the males of the birds of prey, the females being, for the most part, of greater bulke and bodies than the males. That of the Faulcon is called nothing but a Tiercelet, or the male Faulcon. The Tiercelets of the other Hawkes haue their proper names: as, the male Sparrow-hawke is called a Musket: the male Lanier, a Laneret: and the male Sacre, a Sacret. The Tiercelet of the Faulcon hath his feathers ver••e glittering, his head and eyes black, ash-coloured vpon his back and traine, and yet glittering. He is a Hawke for the lure, as also the Faulcon, and not for the fist. His legges and feet are yellow, hauing for the most part a pale breast: he carrieth two very black spots vpon his feathers, on the sides of his eies. To reclaime the Faulcon, you must haue him com∣monly vpon your fist, feed him with the wings and legges of Hennes soked in water, and set him in a darke place: sometimes presenting them with a bason full of water, wherein they may bathe themselues, and after their bathing, drie them at the fire: they must be vsed first to take small birds: then, indifferent great ones: and afterward, grea∣ter ones: but you must not feed them with any part of the birds which they shall haue taken. They flie maruellous swift, and mount very high, there houering and soaring, but withall, still looking downeward: and when they see the Duck, the greene Goose, Crane, or Heron, they come downe like an arrow, their wings shut and drawne toge∣ther, right vpon the Fowle, to breake in vpon her with her tallons behind: at vvhich time if they happen to mis••e, and the Fowle flie away, they presently flie after: but and if they cannot seize vpon her, as enraged and angrie, they take so long a ••light thereupon, as that they loose their master.

The Faul••on is more fit than any other Hawke to flie the Heron, and all other fowle of the riuer. Her diseases, and the curing of them, are like vnto those of the Sparrow-hawke: howbeit, the Faulcon is of a stronger nature than the Sparrow-hawke.

The Hobbie is the least of all Hawkes in respect of bodie, except the Merlin, and is likewise for the lure, and not for the fist, being of the number of those that soare aloft, as the Faulcon, the Lanier, & the Sacre. This bird is sufficiently knowne euery where: for there is not any country where the Hobbies doe not follow the hunters, in as much as it is the proper worke of the Hobbie to make her prey of the little birds as they flie, as by name, the La••ke. This is his speciall propertie, that hauing found the hunters in the field, going to hunt the Hare or the Partridge, he keepeth them companie, still fly∣ing ouer their heads, hoping to meet with some one little bird or other which the dog•• shall put vp: but for the most part these little birds doe rather chuse to become a prey vnto the dogges, or else to find out some means to saue themselues amongst the horses, or to be taken aliue, than to commit themselues to the mercie of the Hobbie, their mor∣tall aduersarie. But howsoeuer, the Hobbie will not follow the hunter longer than a certaine time, as though he had his houres limited him: for leauing them, he goeth to looke out the place of his rest amongst the vvoods of high timber-trees, vvhere they keepe and pearch ordinarily. He hath a blew ••eake, yellow legs and feet, the feathers vnder his eyes very black, the top of his head betwixt black and a darke yellow, two white spots aboue his necke, but vnderneath his throat, and on either side of his tem∣ples, russet ones: his wings very blew: his back, traine, and wings, black on the vpper side: his traine very much consisting of variable colours vnderneath, by reason of red spots traced ouerthwart amongst the blacke. If you can see him flying in the ayre, he may be perceiued to be somewhat red vnder his traine, and betwixt his legges.

The Hobbie is so quicke and swift, as that he dare aduenture vpon the Rauen, and giue him many a drie bob in the ayre.

He is chiefely esteemed for the sport of darying of Larkes, to which he is naturally inclined, because it is the prey in which he most naturally delighteth: and the manner of daring of Larkes is in this sort. When you see a Larke play and flie neere vnto the ground, quiuering her wings, and making a gentle noise in the ayre, you shall then

li••t vp your fist whereon the Hobbie sitteth, and giue her the sight of the Larke, vvho presently thereupon will spread them abroad, and waue them in the vvind, at vvhich sight the Larke will leisurely stoope downe to the ground, and there lye close, as if she were vnperceiued, vvhilest you in the meane space shall with your Horse and Hawke ride about her, and about her, till you come so neere her, that you may lay your daring-net ouer her: vvhich net is a little round net like a Pursnet, not aboue a foot or two ouerthwart, and fastened bought-wise vnto the end of a long pole, like a Hawkes pole: as soone as you haue couered the Larke, you shal light and take her vp, and giue your Hawke the head onely. This is a sport very delicate, and of long conti∣nuance, and therefore much respected amongst ladies and gentlewomen.

The Merlin is the least of all other Hawkes which Faulconers make any vse of: he is for the fist, and not for the lure: howbeit, for ne••essitie ••ake he may be trained to the lure: he resembleth the Faulcon so naturally, as that there may seeme to be no diffe∣rence betwixt them, saue onely in greatnesse: for he hath the same ges••es, plumage, and conditions: vvherefore he must be reputed as royall as the Faulcon, or at least of the same linage and nature with the Faulcon. He is very stout of courage: for although he be not much bigger than a Black-bird or Pigeon, yet he dareth to aduenture vpon the Quaile and Partridge, and such other birds greater than himselfe: and his courage is such, as that oftentimes he will flie them to the next houses or villages, yea, into bur∣ning fire, and vnder the garments of men or women. He must be ••ed and handled af∣ter the same manner that the Faulcon. The generall prey whereupon he most ordi∣narily feedeth, is the Larke: vvhence it commeth, that he euer chusing to liue vvhere they most haunt, hee is often taken with the day-nets: for stooping to strike at the Larke, he is taken in the net himselfe. Of Merlins there are both male and female: the male is called the Iack Merlin, and is as the male of other Hawkes, a great deale lesse than the female, and indeed are so very little, that they are of very small or no vse: the female is called the formale, and being much larger, valiant, and full of courage, they will sley the Partridge all Summer long. These Merlins are of all Hawkes the tende∣rest, and can the least endure cold of any bird vvhatsoeuer, especially of their feet: vvhich being once nipt vvith frost, and benummed, they presently vvill eate them of themselues, and so become lame and vselesse. Therefore vvhen you mue them in the Winter time, you shall mue them in a very warme and close house, and vpon a pearch very well lined and couered with thicke lists, or other vvoollen cloth. Some vse to line their pearches with Cony-skinnes, or other furred skinnes, turning the fur∣red sides outward, but that is somewhat too hot, and makes them more tender and apt to feele the cold than otherwise they would be: vse then a moderate temper of warmth, and no further. Of all sorts of Merlins, the Irish Merlin is the best, for she is neuer at any time troubled with this infirmitie: and you shall know her by her pale greene legs, and the contrarie Merlin by her bright yellow legs When they haue flowne all Sum∣mer at the Partridge, you may make them for the bush in the Winter, and so haue them flying all the yeare; vvhich is the best course that can be taken with them: for they are naturally of themselues so tender, that they can verie hardly endure m••ing.

The Gerfaulcon is a bird that is seldome seene, except it be amongst Faulconers belonging to great Lords: she is a great bodied bird, insomuch, as that she is thought of some to be a kind of Eagle: she is fit to flie at any thing, for she is bold, and neuer giueth ouer any thing: but she is more hard to reclaime and bring to the lure, than any other Hawke, because she is so venturous and fantasticall: for and if she be not hand∣led gently, and haue a mild master to vse her kindly, she will neuer become reclaimed. This is the strongest of all other birds, except the Eagle: she is kept vpon the fist, she is long bodied, hauing her b••ll, legges, and feet of a blew colour, and her tallons very open and long: she is cunning at the taking of the birds of the riuer, for she wearieth them in such sort, that in the end they are forced to yeeld, as not being able ••o diue any more.

The principall flight wherein she taketh delight, is at the Herne, for her spirit

and courage stirs her vp to actions of the greatest worth: and of these Gerfaulcons, the white is the principall best of all other, and of greatest price: they are exceeding tender, and very apt to take surfeits, and therefore ••eldome long liued, which is the reason that they are not of such generall vse as other hawkes are, neither are they got but with great cost, and paine••ulnesse which maketh them to be held of very great price, and so not for euerie ones purchase. Aboue all other things, they may not endure the losse of any bloud, in so much that the shedding of one poore droppe, though at the pounce, or other outward part which is least mortall, is the vtter losse of the haukes life: they can in no sort be kept too cold, or withered too much, in so much, that if after her flying, you suffer her to sit abroad one whole frostie night, she will be much the so••nder, and better for the same. Nay I haue seene some Faul∣coners, which after the bathing of the hawke, haue set her abroad till the moisture hath beene frozen vpon their feathers, and hath beene persuaded that she hath ••lowne her next slight much better for the same: she must be exceeding painefully laboured withall at her first beginning, for she is apt to take deslike at the mans face, and ther∣fore must be carried vpon the fist more than any other hauke: she must also be kept much bare-faced after she is acquainted with the man, and c••ntinually stroaked and coyd about the head, bodie, and feet with a loose feather, to make her more ••ame and gentil: she must also be much whooped and gibbetted vnto, that she may be acquain∣ted with the voice of the man, and with those sounds which she must obey and ••ol∣low: she may very well be flowne from Michaelmas vntill the Spring, but in no wise after; for the ••ea••on of the yeare growing then warme, and lust springing within her, out of a naturall instinct which she hath to her owne clyme, she will away and leaue you, how well soeuer reclaimed, or how sharpe and ••it soeuer ••et for the pleasure you go about: In so much that it hath been credibly known, that diuers Gerfaulcons haue beene taken vp in Island, some with French, and some with Engl••sh varuells vpon them, to the great admiration and astonishment both of those which haue taken them, and those which haue lost them. The Gerfaulcon like the Faulcon gentill, is to to be chosen all of one pe••ce, and either a blacke or ••andie male, by no meanes dropt, but of a cleere and bright plume, with ful summed feathers, vubrused, and vnbroken: of all hawks they couer their sicknesse longest, and out of their me••••alls seeme sound, when they are inwardly most rotten; therefor•• it is not good in any wise to buy or meddle with them til you haue seene them mute, receiued •• full gorge, and put it ouer, and lastly in the morning haue seene her casting: in all which if you find no extraor∣dinare imperfection, you may then safely buy her, and what los••e after succeeds im∣pute it to your owne negligence. The male to the Gerfaulcon is that which is called ••he Ierkin, being a much lesse bird, yet of exceeding good mettall and courage, and as sit to flie at the riuer, as any other hawke vvhatsoeuer, hauing a naturall loue to all manner of water foule, and continually when he is vvild, making his prey vpon the same.

The Sacre being a principall bird amongst those of the prey, is like vnto the Faul∣con in greatnesse, a hawke that is good for the Kite, but hee may bee made fit for any vvild flesh, as also for the open field to take wild Geese, Feasant, Par••ridge, and all other sorts of vvild foule.

The Sacre is of more ill fauoured coloured feathers than any other hawke, for she is of a colour as it were betwixt red and smokie, short sooted, hauing blew legs and talons. It is a vvandring bird, and seldome found in this countrie: her Teirselet is the Sacret; so that the Sacret is the male, and the Sacre is the female. Noble men desirous to haue some sport betwixt him and the Kite, do first make the Kite to stoope (for the Kite is woont in the Summer to keepe on high in the aire, to e••uoy the coolenesse of the aire, vvhich is greatest in the middle region of the aire) by hauing some one or other Faulconer to carrie a ducke vpon his fist, hauing a certaine quantitie of a Fox taile hanging thereat, thus letting her fle in some plaine ground, they giue the Kite occasion to stoope: for vvhen the Kite is aduised of the Ducke, he stoopeth by and by vnto the ground, and drawing neere vnto her, doth there keepe himselfe without

doing any other thing, but beholding of her, as maruelling at her forme: Then the Sacre is to be cast off at him, who thinking himselfe swift, hopeth by flight to ouer∣take him: wherupon the Kite mounteth vpward, turning round therewithall as much as he can: and so the combate becommeth pleasant to behold, especially if it be in a plaine without trees, and that the aire be cleare, and without wind: for one shall see both the Sacre and the Kite to mount so high, as that they will be both out of sight: but all will not serue, for the Sacre will make him yeeld, bea••ing him downe to the ground with such chumps, as he lighteth vpon him withall.

The Lanier diff••reth not much from the Faulcon, and he taketh his surname of the Faulcon, for he is commonly called the Faulcon Lanier: he is commonly found in this countrey: and for that hee is of gentle conditions, and better endureth gros••e meates than any other Hawke, men are wont to content themselues with him, causing him to serue their purpose euerie way. Faulconers chuse those Laniers that haue great heads, short bills, blew and yellow feet, their fore-feathers of a mixture of black and white, not hauing ouerthwart strakes, as the Faulcon, but straight spots going along the fea∣thers, a short and somewhat thicke necke, as also a bill of the same fashion. The La∣nier is the female, and the Lancret is the male, and hath not so bigge a bodie as the fe∣male, neither yet so well esteemed of, but as for the rest, he is almost like the female in plumage. There is no kind of bird that keepeth his pearch more constantly. He abi∣deth with vs in Winter, and is to be seene of vs at all times, contrarie to the fashion of ethers, which keepe not in our countries but in the Summer time. Fa••lconers, when they would make the Lanier a forrester, they put him in a lower roome, so dark, as that he can see nothing, except at such times as he is fed: and likewise they neuer carrie him vpon their fist, but in the night.

And when that he is readie to flie, they make a fire in the chamber for to heat him, that so he may afterward be bathed in pure vvine: and hauing dried him againe, they giue him to feede on, the braines of a Henne: then getting forward before day toward the place vvhere the game is, they cast him off a good way from the place vvhere the Crane is, at such time as it beginneth to be day: and though he take him nor the first day, it is all one, for it will be as good in the daies following, and especially from after mid Iuly, vntill towards the end of October. And yet af∣ter the mue, hee vvill bee better than before: but it is not good in the time of Winter.

Yet to speake truth of the Lanier, he taketh more delight to prey vpon the Par∣tridge, than vpon any other fowle whatsoeuer, because the flight doth not mount much, to vvhich he hath no affection. He is of so strong and good a constitution, that his grease seldome or neuer melteth to his hurt or preiudice: neither is he so foolishly ouer-free of courage, that he will hurt himselfe with too much violence, or paines-taking. Whence it comes, that his owner can seldome ouer-flye him, no, though he flye him sixe or seuen ••lights in a morning: and for this cause hee is called the Schollers Hawke, as being an excellent encourager of young Faulco∣ners, and a bird on vvhich, vvithout danger, they may trie all needefull experi∣ments.

Thus much of the manner of luring and reclaiming of Hawkes, as well in generall as in particular: and yet it remaineth that wee speake a word or two concerning the same matter.

You must vnderstand, that all birds of the prey doe serue to flie either vpon riuers, or else ••n the fields: of which, some flie from the fist, and that without any spare: of this sort is the Goshawke, the Sparrow-hawke, the Gerfaulcon, and the Merlin: The others flie on high, as namely, the Faulcon, the Lanier, the Sacre, and the Hobbie: the one of them is called from the flight, by holding out the fist vnto them, and the other by casting out vnto them the lure, that is to say, an instrument made after the fashion of two fowles wings coupled together, hung at a leash, and at the end thereof a ten∣nise-ball, or crooke of horne: for by these lures the Hawkes are allured, thinking them to be liue Hennes.

This is the destinction of our French Faulconers, yet generally it is not so recei∣ued, for of other Faulconers, hawkes are deuided into these two kinds, long-winged hawkes, and short-winged hawkes: the long-winged hawkes doe properly belong vnto the lure, and ••lie a ••oft, soaring in the aire, and from thence ••••ooping downe and taking their pray: they are vpon their wings long before they either see or are seene of their pray, looking when either the spannyells shall spring the partridge from the ground, or the Faulconer with his poale beate the foule from the riuer: and of this ••or•• is the Eagle, the Gripe, the Gerfaulcon, the Faulcon, the Lanyer, the Hobie, and the Merline, some will intrude the Castrell, which in deed is a long-winged hawke, as touching his shape, but looking into the cowardlinesse of his nature, he is far vnworthie to ranke in their societie. The short-winged hawkes do properlie be∣long to the fist, for from thence euer they flie, and thither also backe they are euer re∣called. They neuer take their wing till they see their pray on wing before them, and then they make a maine after it, and flie it to the marke, where presently they take a tree, hillocke, or some other stand, as neere the place as possibly they can, and there sit till the spannyells come into the retriue: but the long-winged hawke neuer taketh stand at all, but flying about and about grathereth vp againe to her first pitch, and there expecteth the retriue. Now the short-winged hawkes are the Goshawke, the Terssell of the Goshawke, the Sparrow-hawke, and the Mus••••e••, some intrude the bauld Buzzard, and the Ring-tayle, but they as the Castrell are not worthie of the ranke, being naturally cowards, and of faint spirits, not daring to contend where there is any shew of resistance.

Some of them begin not the game, but follow it being begun by the Hawkers, as we haue said of the Eagle. To be briefe, hawks seeme not to differ, saue that all of them do not flie at all kind of birds and foule alike, for in deed euery one of them buckleth himselfe vnto the bird, to the flying whereof hee is giuen and addicted, and not to others. And concerning all sorts of flying and hawking▪ you may find a more ample treatise in the particular description of the nature and properties of euery bird of pray which we haue made.

Notes

• The G••ipe.
• The Sparrow-hawke and the Goshawke.
• The Goshawke more worthie than the Spar∣row-hawke.
• Differences and ••ualities be∣tweene the Ra∣••nage or Braun∣cher hawks and ••he Iias hawks.
• How to enter your Sparrow-hawke.
• The diseases of the Sparrow-hawke.
• 〈…〉〈…〉.
• 〈…〉〈…〉.
• The vse of th•• Hobbie.
• ••he Merlin.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Merlins.
• The Irish Mer∣••in.
• The G••rf••ulcon
• Of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the w••••te•••• the best.
• How to k••••ps vse the Ger∣faulcon
• The Sacre.
• Lan••er.
• Which be called long-win••ed hawks, and which be called short-w••nged hawks.
• To lure.