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

The hunting of the Hare.

CHAP. XXXI.

Of the pleasure of the hunting of the Hare, and of the dogs that are fit for the same.

CErtaine it is that the hunting of the Hare is more pleasant, more liuely, and lesse costly (not onely for gentlemen, but also for all men of estate) than of any other beast, because it is accompanied with a thousand prettie pleasures and recreations euerie houre, and of small charges, besides the securitie thereof, and the auoiding of the daungers and inconueniencies which are many, and happen oft to such as hunt the Hart and the wild Bore: whereunto you may adde the great contentment, and no small pleasure which may be taken in seeing as it were the spirit of this little beast, as it were admirable in nature, and the sleights which she vseth to shift and rid her selfe from the dogs that chase her. Such game we will allow our Farmer, yea, and so as that I could wish him to vse it as oft as hee can, for it cannot but affoord him both pleasure and profit.

And whereas this game consisteth principally vpon multitude of dogs, the gentle∣man that will doe the deede, and hath a young companie of dogs to teach, must obserue two things principally, to traine and instruct them well. The first is, that from the beginning he accustome them to goe vncoupled, and to run in all sorts of grounds and countries, that is to say, vpon plaines, vnderwoods and thickets: for otherwise if you accustome them from the beginning to run in one place onely, as in woods or grounds that are fallen, and haue the wood cut downe, they will not make any reckoning of the plaines and fields, but they will goe and raunge the grounds where they haue beene accustomed to find sport and take their pleasure in finding the Hare. The second is, that he neuer teach his dogs to hunt in the mornings, because of the dew & coolenes of the earth, but rather in the height of the day: for if you vse them to the coole seasons, and then afterward bring them to hunt at the height of the day, they feeling any heat or small wind will not afterward hunt any more.

Wherefore the fittest time to traine young dogs vp in, and to make them fit for the hunting of the Hare, is after September vnto December, because that then the

time is temperate, as also because that the young hares are foolish, and but weake bo∣died, neither skillfull, nor able to worke their wiles: and besides, because they themselues doe start of themselues many times before the dogs which take pleasure therein, and become better entred and enured thereby, than they would bee, if they should be hares that would run away and be packing apace from them.

CHAP. XXXII.

The markes of a good Hare, of the male and of the female, and of their formes.

NOw although in hunting of the Hare, the hunter taketh what hee can haue, and not what hee can find, because of the swiftnesse and wili∣nesse of this little beast, which oftentimes disappointeth him of his purpose: notwithstanding if at any time it bee graunted the hunter by the good hap of hunting to chuse the best Hare amongst many, or else that some Lord, not willing to loose his labour, hath sent his hunts-man to find the Hare before hee hunt her; the markes of a good and faire Hare, and such a one as deserueth to be hunted, are these: Those which keepe in woods or plaines, or which feed vpon little hills vpon the herbe Penniroyall, or wild Time, are much better than they which keepe neere the waters, as also better than the little red Hares, which are of the kind of conies; for such as keepe neere vnto water are commonly leprous. Further, the male is far better than the female.

The markes to know the one and the other are these: The male hath commonly his dung smaller, drier, and sharper at the point: the female hath them greater, rounder, and not altogether so drie as the males: the female hath a grosser bodie, but the male hath a more slender and fine bodie: the male in comming out of his forme, hath his hinder parts whitish, as though hee had beene plumed: the male hath also red shoulders, with some long haires mixt amongst, he hath also a shorter and more bushie head than the female, the haire and beard of his iawes long, his eares short, wide, and whitish: the female hath a long and narrow head, and also great eares: the haire growing along the ridge of the backe of a darke gray. When the dogs course the female, she doth nothing but coast round about her seat & coun∣trie, passing seuen or eight times by one place before she euer squa••: the male doth the contrarie; for being coursed with dogges, hee runneth sometimes seuen or eight leagues distance from his forme.

To know the forme of a Hare, you must take the benefit of the night: for in the night she withdraweth her selfe into her forme, and not in the morning, because of the dew: neither yet vpon the height of the day, because of the heate. There is more regard to bee taken vnto her traces: for the print of the hares foot is sharpe, and fashioned like vnto the point of a knife, hauing her small nailes all pricked right downe into the ground, and they doe leaue their print round about, drawing alwaies narrower and narrower, hauing the sole of her foot alway close, after the manner of the point of a knife.

CHAP. XXXIII.

The killing of the Hare.

FOr the hunting of the Hare, the very best time to kill her with coursing dogs, beginneth at mid September, and endeth at mid Aprill, because of the flowers and great heat which then begin to raigne, for both these are apt to depriue the dogs of their necessary scent: besides that, at these times the Hares are but young and feeble.

Notwithstanding, there be certain countries and seasons, where & when the dogs haue not any scent of Hares, as in Winter in the plaine countries where the ground is fat and strong, because the Hare hath her foot vnderneath full of haire, so that when she runneth, a fat ground will take hold vpon it, and so she carrieth it away with her foot, and so all the scent that the dogs might otherwise take, is withheld: and vpon plaines there are neither branch nor herbe for her to hit her body vpon, no more than there is in broad and troden waies. In like manner it is an vnfit time to draw out dogs to hunt in frostie weather: for they would both loose their nailes, and sp••ile their feet: on the contrarie, the Hares run better at that time, than at any other, because they haue their feet furred.

Also high waies are very daungerous and ill to hunt vpon: for by reason of the much trauelling of men and other cattell, the scent which the Hare should leaue, is cleane taken away, and the dogs noses are stopt with contrarietie of odour: nor is it good to hunt where flocks of sheepe, heards of goats or cattell are kept; for the hot∣nesse of their sent taketh away all scent of the Haire.

The first point making way for the killing of the Hare, consisteth in finding out her forme, which the better to find, you must haue respect vnto the season wherein you go about it, and the time how it shapeth: for if it be in the Spring or Summer, the Hares lodge not amongst the thicke places of woodes, because of the ants, ser∣pents, and lizards which driue them thence, and so at such times they are constrained to lodge amongst the corne, fallowes, and other weake places. In Winter they do the contrary: for they take vp their lodging in some thicke bushes, or thicke places of the wood, especially, when the Northren winds, and other high and low winds doe blow, for of such they are much afraid. Wherefore according to the time and place, where you shall see the Hares to take vp their lodging, you must prepare your dogs to go and set vpon the Hare within her forme, and when she shall bee started, the horse-men (which shall not be aboue three in number) must incourage the dogs to follow the chace, without making of much crying or greatly whupping of them, for feare of setting of them in too great a hea••e, which might cause them to ouer∣slip the traces, and, not to hold on right.

But touching the most generall and best places for the finding out of Hares both Winter and Somme••, you shall repaire to the moores or heath which are ouergrowne with ling, or with gosse, whins, Brakes, or such like, for they are speciall harbours in which a Hare delights most: also in such places where there is great store of fog or long dead grasse which lieth vngot. You shall be sure to find Hares haunt, especi∣ally in the Spring time, because such ground being giuen to moisture, makes them take a greater delight therein: for Hares at that time of the yeare loue to haue all their hinder loynes couered with water: from whence it comes that the best Hare finders, when they seeke Ha••es, looke all the Winter vp to the top or ridge of the lands, and in the Spring, downe to the lowest bottome of the furrowes. Now as soone as you haue found your Hare, and started her, the horse-men which fol∣low the chace, shall by all obseruations possible take good heed to the wile•• and sleights of the Hare, the which are verie many and diuers, as in the time of raine the hare doth rather follow trodden pathes and broad then at any other time, and

if she light vpon any vnderwood, she will not go in but to refresh her selfe by the sides thereof, and letteth the dogs passe by: after when they are gone past, she tur∣neth and ••unneth backe in the same steps by which she came thither, vnto the place from whence she was dislodged, rather than she would run vp into the forestes, by reason of the moistnesse which is amongst the wood. When such practises are in hand, the horse-men must stay some hundred paces from the wood by which the hare is come, for he shall not faile to see her returne by her former way right vpon him, whereby he shall be able to call in the dogs. The horse-men likewise shall ob∣serue and marke whether it be a male or a female, and whether she bee one that kee∣peth continually in the countrie, or but a guest for a night: for if she be a wanderer and not of constant abode, she will haue her forme in couer••, and suffer the dogs to put her vp three or foure times neere vnto her forme: for this is infallible that the hare, bred and sed where she is put vp, and especially the female, if the horse-man obserue and market the first place and compasse that she taketh the first time after she is departed and gone from her lodging being before the dogs, all the rest of the co••r∣fes that she shall make that day will be by the same places, waies, and muses, if it bee not a male hare come from far, or else the dogs haue hunted her so hard, and wearied her so much, as that she be driuen to forsake her woonted haunt: and this commonly they do voluntarily betake themselues vnto, if they be at any time coursed two whole houres, without default.

At the first when the dogs begin to course the hare, she doth nothing but wind and turne, tracing ouer one place fiue or fixe times, and that all in the same trace. And this you must learne, that if the coursing dogs misse of taking the hare one day, then it will bee good for the horse-man to beare in mind the places and coasts that then she passed through: for if he returne at any other time, and haue her in course with the dogs, she will passe by the same places, and practise the same shifts shee did the day before when she escaped, and thus being before acquainted with her cra••ts, and ways which she will run he may greatly help his dogs.

Some hares as soone as they heare the sound of the horne do start, and take some riuer or lake, and then you must vse what good meanes you can to cause her to auoid the water, drawing the dogs neere the place most likely for her landing, that so they may take her.

The females are more often in practising their wiles, and in shorter space, which the dogs loue not: for it is a wearisome i••kesomnesse to couragious and lustie dogs, to be drawne a side so oft, it being their chiefe desire to course such a beast as will run out before them, that so they may runne according as their strength will serue them. And for such hares as are giuen to wind and turne so oft, it is requisite that you take great compasse of ground, that so you may inclose all her wiles, leauing no passage for her to find but only one way to go out, and by this meanes you shall abridge her much of her helpes, and driue her to forsake her shifts and sleights.

There are also some hares giuen to run in trodden pathes, and high waies, to the end the dogs might not come by any scent of them, there being neither braunch of tree, nor herbes, nor moisture, which can touch their bodies, to gather any scent for the dogs, in such manner as there would, if they were in other couert places, as woods, corne, and other coole places, and especially when they feed in any greene corne, be∣cause they rest their bodies in one place. When the horse-man shall find such hares, and shall perceiue the default of the dogs, by reason of the high way, he must draw them on forward all along the said high way, following them continually vntil such time as the dogs find her out gate, or else till he haue found some little valley or coole place in the middest of the way, where the dogs may seeme to haue found her scent. And he himselfe also must light from off his horse to see if that he can espie any of the traces of the hare, such as we haue described them before. And by these traces or foot∣steps, he shall by little and little picke out which way she is gone, and this amongst hunts-men is called the pricking forth of the hare, one obseruation no lesse needfull than any other obseruation whatsoeuer: for it is not to be vsed onely in plaine high

waies and foot pathes, but also in any other ground which is plaine, as vpon fal∣lowe lands, or other worne ground where the greene swarth is taken away: and this aboue all other is the most safest and surest way for the recouering of a losse, because it goes not by coniecture or imagination, but by certaine knowledge, and by knowledge of that member by which the hound hunteth only, and by which he beareth the whole scent he seeketh.

The hare hath a thousand other shifts, all which in generall the warie and wilie horse-man may meet withall, if when he hath seene her fetch her first compasse, and withall got the knowledge of the coast, which she betaketh her selfe vnto in her course, he get before her to behold her with his eies, and in the same place incourage the dogs, making them to fetch great circuits, to the end they may be sure to include and compasse all her wiles and shifting tricks.

Hares liue not aboue seuen yeares at the most, and especially the males: they haue this tricke with them, that if the male and the female doe liue together in a countrie, they will neuer suffer other strange hares to abide there, if they can remedie it, except it be such as they haue bred: and thereupon some say, That the more that any place is hunted, the moe hares are found there, because that strangers, and those of other countries do come thither.

The hare being killed, it will be good to giue the dogs their fees, the better to in∣courage them, and to cause them with much more ioy to hunt in that place after∣ward. This their repast or fees may be made of bread, cheese, and some other dain∣ties, all put into the bodie of the hare, that so it may bee moistned and ouerdrowned with bloud, and after spread vpon the cleane grasse. For their second sort of meate, as a more royall banquet, if there be store of hares taken, will bee good to vncase one and first taking out her lights, then to cast the whole carkasse to the dogs, giuing them leaue to teare and eat her: and after that they haue eaten her, to giue them bread least they should proue sicke at their stomakes, and cast their gorge, seeing that hares flesh is enemie vnto them. In like manner when the dog which is taught to hunt the hare, shall bee brought to course the hart, hee will not make any more account of the hare, because he hath found and tasted the flesh of the hart to be far better than that of the hare.

CHAP. XXXIIII.

What profit commeth by the killing of the Hare.

LIke commoditie as is to be found in the killing of the hart and wild bore, may be found also in the hare: and to speake first of the food rising ther∣of, we see not any food more common, nor more in request in our coun∣trie of France than the hare. It is true in deed, that Physitians do iudge the flesh of the hare to be melancholike, hard to digest in the stomake, and begetting a grosse iuice: but this is to bee vnderstood of old hares, as such as are aboue a yeare old, and such as are kept tame in boroughes and other inclosed places: but the young leuerets haue a very pleasant and daintie flesh to eate: yea in those which are growne great, there are some parts which are in request, as the loines, the shoulders and han∣ches. There may be marked in this little beast a marueilous fruitfulnesse in nature, for that monethly she bringeth forth a great number of yong ones. I know that some thinke, that the male and female are of both sexes, and that both of them do conceiue and ingender as if they were hermophrodites: but it is a false conceiued opinion, and a thing altogether strange and vnaccustomed to be in the workes and generation that is according to nature. And it is furthermore most true, that the female being b••gd, ceaseth to ingender againe for the time, that is to say, to admit the companie of the male, thereby to haue a second conception, but by and by after she hath kindled,

she taketh the buck againe, and that is the cause of their so great fruitfulnesse: as much may be said of conies which are a kind of hare.

As concerning the medicinall vertues of the hare: the flesh of the haire well ro∣sted is a great helpe against bloudie and humorall fluxes of the bellie: that liue•• dried in the ouen, and made into pouder, is singular good for them which haue a weake liuer.

The braines being throughly boiled and rubd vpon the gums of young chil∣dren, helpeth them of the paines they haue of their teeth, and helpeth forward their growth.

Take a whole hare both skinne and haire (saue that you must take away her in∣tailes) close them vp in an earthen pot very well stopped and luted: alterward put the pot into a hot ouen, and there leaue it so long, as till the whole bodie may be made easily into pouder, in such sort, as that there bee left no manner of moi∣sture, for else you should bee constrained to put the pot againe into the ouen vn∣till euery part and parcell were brought into pouder. The weight of a French crowne of his pouder, taken with white wine euerie morning two houres before mea••e, doth take away the difficultie of making water, and breaketh the stone both of the re••••es and bladder: but yet before the vse of this pouder, the bodie must bee purged: and during the time of the vse thereof, there must bee applied vpon the reines, two plates of lead of the breadth of foure fingers, sewed together betwixt two linnen clothes.

The gall of the hare mingled with sugar, cleanseth the eies, and taketh away the pearle or spots of the eies.

The dung of the hare being carried about women, hindreth their conception: but one thing of a cert••••netie, if it bee put vp into the secret parts of a woman in forme of a pestarie, it stayeth the termes following excessiuely, and drieth the mother that is too moist.

The bloud of the hare dried or fried, and applied vnto a scab or ringworme, drieth and healeth it incontinently.

The hare hath a little bone in the ioint of her legs, which is soueraigne against the cholicke.

Notes

• To fit the dogs for to hunt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Hare.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 markes of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and faire 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• ••••res keeping ••re vnto wa•• are leprous.
• Places in which the dogs haue no scent.
• That the finding of the forme of the Hare, is the first and chief∣est step to kill her.
• What places ar•• best to find the Hare in.
• The more that a place is hun∣ted, the moe hares there are
• The meat that is made of the har•• for the dogs.
• The fruitfulnes of the hare.
• 〈…〉〈…〉.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 stone of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• ••••••he gall.
• ••••••he dung.
• ••he bloud.
• ••••he bone of the hare.