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 Brocke and Foxe.

CHAP. XXXV.

The profit comming of the hunting of the Fox and Brocke.

THe killing of Foxes and Brockes, neither bring pleasure nor profit to the hunters, taking profit in this place for meate and nourishment: for the Foxe his flesh, (and much lesse the Brockes) is nothing plea∣sant to eat, in as much as it hath an vnsauourie, strong, and wild kind of taste. Howbeit Galen in a certaine place letteth not to say, that the flesh of the Foxe hath the like facultie and vertue with that of the Hare: and yet in ano∣ther place, as restracting his former assertion he saieth, that the Foxe is of the same temperature with the dog. It is certaine that some countrie people hauing not the benefit of any other victuall, liue not vpon any other than Foxe ••lesh, but it is in the time of Autumne onely, because that at such time the Foxe feedeth of nothing but of grapes, by which meanes it may bee that his flesh may proue somewhat good. Howsoeuer it bee, if any profit grow vpon the killing of the Foxe and Brocke, it is only because they deuour fowle, and annoy the conies and warr••n,

Adde hereunto that the Physitians do make great account of the lungs of the fox, for the disease of the lungs and shortnesse of the breath: and of his grease, for the paine of the sinewes: of his bloud, for the stone: o•• the oyle wherein the whole bo∣die of the Foxe hath beene boyled, either quicke or dead, (whereof we haue spoken in the third booke) for all manner of ioint-ach: and of the priuie members of the Foxe, against the stone.

CHAP. XXXVI.

Of the two sorts of Foxes and Brocks.

BEfore we goe any further, there are two sorts of Foxes, and two sorts of Brockes, that is say, great Foxes and little ones accustomed to lie and lurke in their dens: and Brockes some like swine, and some like dogges. The two sorts of Foxes are sufficiently knowne. The hog-like Brocks are whitish, and haue the haire aboue their noses, and vnder their throats a great deale more white than the dog-like haue, their bodie of a greater bulke, their head and snowt also more grosse. The hog-like in going out of their dens do freely dung, but euermore they make a little hole with the end of their snowt before, or else scrape one with their feet, and then dung therein: the dog-like make their dung a farre off from their earths. The hog-like commonly make their dens in sandie or other ground that is easie to dig, and open places, to haue the heate of the Sunne, and being giuen to sleepe continually, they are fatter than the dog-like. The dog-like make their aboad in tougher earth, or else in rockes, making their holes and dens deeper and narrower than the hog-like, because they cannot dig the stiffe and tough earth or rockes, as the other do the sand and light ground. The dog-like haue their nose, throat, and eares yellowish, after the manner of the throat of a ma••ten, and they are a great deale blac∣ker and longer legd than the others. The two sorts accompanie not together, but they feed of all manner of flesh: they doe much harme in warren••, especially vnto the young rabbets which are within their nests, and are very sweet and daintie, but more to pigs and hogs, whereof they feed more than of any other flesh: they feed also of all sorts of wild flesh, as geese, hens, and such like: they are very cold and chil, and if they be left in any roome where fire is, they will goe lie in it and burne their feet: they will liue hardly, as also they haue a hard skin: they feare their nose not∣withstanding very much, neither can one giue them euer so little a blow thereupon with a sticke, but they die sodainly: they are deadly enemies vnto the foxes, and of∣tentimes fight with them.

CHAP. XXXVII.

Of two sorts of earth-dogs vsuall course foxes and brockes withall, and the manner of teaching and tray∣ning of them thereunto.

COncerning the hunting of the Foxe and Broke, it is to bee performed with earth-dogs, which are of two sorts: the one hath crooked lege, ••nd commonly short haire: the other hath straight legs, and a shagd haire like water-spannyels: those which haue the crooked legs creepe more, easily into the earth than the other, and they are best for the brocks, because they stay long there, and keepe better without comming forth. Those which haue straight legs serue for two vses, because they run as coursing dogs about the ground, and also take

the earth more boldly then the other, but they tarrie not so long, because they vexe themselues in fighting with the foxes and brockes, whereby they are forced to come forth to take the aire.

Now if it fall out that the hunts-man haue not earth dogs readie taught, hee may traine them in this manner. The time to begin to take them in hand, must bee when they are betwixt the age of eight and ten moneths: for if he will not be brought to take the earth at a yeare old, he will scarce euer be able to bee made to take it; againe, they must not be roughly dealt withall in the time of their training, neither so hand∣led, as that they may take any hurt of the brockes in the earth, because that if they should be beaten or hardly handled, they would neuer ••ak the earth more. And for that cause it must bee carefully looked vnto, that such young trained dogs bee neuer made take the earth, where there are any old foxe•• or brocks, but to let them first stay out their yere, and be throughly nurtured, and furthermore there must some old earth dogs be put in alwaies before them, to indure and beare off the furie of the brocke.

The most conuenient and readiest way to traine them, is thus: as such times as foxes and brocks haue young ones, you must take all your old earth dogs, and let them take the earth, afterward when they shal begin to stand at an abbaie, then must the young ones be brought vnto the mouth of the hole one by one (for feare they should beate themselues) and there cause them to heare the abbaie▪ When the old brockes or foxes shall be taken, and none remaining but their cubs, then you must take vp and couple vp all the old earth dogs, and after let loose the young ones, incouraging them to take the earth, and crying vnto them, Creepe into them basset, creep into them, Hou take them, take them: and when they haue hold of any young, brocke or foxe, they must bee let alone, till they haue strangled him in the burrow or hole, taking heed that the earth fall not in vpon them, least it might hurt them: afterward you must carie all the yong brocks and foxes vnto your lodgings, and cause their liuers and the bloud also to bee fried with cheese and fat, making them meate thereof, and shewing them the head of their wild flesh.

They may also be trained and taught after another manner: as namely, you must cause the old brocks and foxes to be taken aliue by the old earth dogs, and with pin∣cers fit for the purpose, take and breake all the teeth of the neather iaw, wherein the great gripers stand, not touching the vppermost at all, to the end that by it may con∣tinually appeare and be seene the rage and furiousnesse of the beastes, although they be not able to do any harme therewith at all: afterward you shall cast earthes in some meadow plot of sufficient largenesse, for the dogs to turne themselues, and go in by couples on a brest, couering the burrowes afterward with boords and greene turfes: this done, the brocke must be put in, and all the dogs both young and old let slip and incouraged as hath alreadie beene said. And when they haue baited him sufficiently, you must strike seuen or eight great blowes vpon the side of the hole with a spade, to harden and acquaint them therewith, against the time when you shall stand in neede to vse deluing: then you must take vp the plankes ouer the place where the brocke is, taking hold vpon him with pincers, killing him before them, or else causing him to be stifled by some grey-hound, that so there may meat bee made of him for them. And you must haue cheese which you must cause to be cast them presently after their wild flesh, when it shall be dead: and if peraduenture you would not breake all the teeth of the neather iaw of the brocke, yet you must cut off all the greater and ma∣ster teeth, that so he may be kept from biting and doing of mischiefe.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

The manner of killing of the Foxe.

AS for the killing of the Foxe it is m••ch more easie than that of the Brocke: herein especially, seeing that after they once scent the dogges which baite them, they gather themselues together, and rush out vpon the sodaine, except it be at such time as the female hath young ones, for then they will not forsake them.

Naturally they are giuen to dig their earths in places that are hard to be digged, as in rockes, or vnder the roots of trees: they haue but one hole, but it is both strait, and reacheth far.

Some hunts-men are of opinion (and sure it is very likely and credible) that the Foxe neuer maketh his owne earth or kennell: for though he bee the subtilest of all beastes, both touching his owne saftie, and the gaining of his pray; yet he is nothing laborious or giuen to take paines for any thing, but his bellie onely, neither hath na∣ture giuen him any especiall instruments for the same vse, more than to other mun∣grell dogges of which he is a kind; so that he may scrach or digge vp the earth a lit∣tle for the hiding or maine couering of his pray: but to make such tedious, deepe, long and winding vaults, and in such difficult and tough places is hard to bee con∣iectured: whence it comes, that those of better obseruation affirme, that the Brocke or Badger, or as some call him the Grey, by reason of his colour, who is a beast of infinit great industrie, cleanlinesse, and fearefulnesse, doth first make the Foxes earth, but not with any determinate purpose that the Foxe should inioy it, but as a place of refuge and rest, for himselfe onely, which as soone as the Foxe findeth out, he presently watcheth the going out of the Badger, and then entring in at the hole, he defileth the mouth and entrance thereof both with his dung and pisse (which is the loathsomest of all excraments) in such filthie and hatefull manner, that the Badger returning and finding his lodging so nastily beraied, presently he forsakes the place and commeth there no more, but leaues it to the Foxe and digs himselfe a new cell in another place. But to our former purpose, when the the dogges haue once ouerthrowne the Foxe, he resisteth a little, but it is not with any such boldnesse and courage as to daunt the dogs, neither hath he any daungerous bite: and yet some say, that he hath his shift, as to clap his taile betwixt his legs, (when he seeth himselfe once ouerthrowne by the dogs,) and to pisse vpon it, and therewithall to besprinckle the dogs, to the end that feeling the stench thereof, they may be driuen backe and let him depart.

If you take a bitch Fox when she is salt, and cutting away her priuie member, and the gut annexed thereunto, with the little testicles or stones, which are the cause of ingendring, (being the same that gelders vse to take from bitches, when they geld them (and put all the same cut in prettie gobbets into some little pot all hot as they were cut away, and take Galbanum and put it in, mingling alltogether, and couering it, that all may not breath out: you may keepe it a whole yeare, and make it serue at any time when you would make a traine to allure the dog Foxe, by taking the skin or a collop of lard, and putting it vpon a gridyron, and when it shall be broyled and all hot, moisting it in the pot where the priuie part of the Fox and Galbanum is, ther∣with making all your traines: then you shall perceiue the male Foxes following o•• you euery where: but he that maketh the craine, must rub the soles of his shoes with cowes dung, least they should take the scent of his feete: Thus you may see the means how to draw on the dog foxes to any place where you may take them in a snare, or gin, and so kill them in the euening with a cros-bow.

This is most true, that if you rub an earth dog with brimstone, or with oile of the

lees of oyle, and thereupon cause him to take the earth, where there are foxes or brocks, they will get themselues thence, and come no more there for two or three moneths. There is furthermore another thing to be noted, that after that the earth dogs are come out of the earth of foxes or brocks, they must be washed with warme water and sope, to rid them of the mould that shall bee gotten betwixt the haire and the skin, for else they would grow scabbed of a scab that would very hardly heale.

Some subtile foxe hunters take the foxe without any helpe of dogs, with this wile: they rub the sole of their shooes with a great peece of lard lately rosted, at such time as they are about to returne home from the wood, or from any plaine where they know that there is any foxes: after the same manner they vse to scatter by the way (as they goe) little morsells of hogs liuer dipped in hony, drawing after them a dead cat: whereupon the foxe following the trace at hand, allured by the scent of the lard and hogs liuers: they haue a man accompanying them with a harquebuze, or arrow to kill him at a blow.

CHAP. XXXIX.

The manner of killing the Brocke.

AS for the killing of the Brocke, it is more difficult than the killing of the Foxe, (as hath beene said) because their holes are deepe and narrow, and consisting of many conueyances and passages: for which cause it is me••••e and conuenient for the vndertaking of such a worke, first to haue foure or fiue men furnished with spades and tooles fit for the digging of the earth: secondly, halfe a dozen of good earth dogs at the least, euery one armed with his collar about his necke, of the breadth of three singers, and hung with little bels, to hunt the seue∣rall earths, to the end that the Brocks may be driuen the sooner to their stand, and the dogs defended the better by those collars from taking any hurt: and when it is per∣ceiued that the Brocks are at their stand, or that the dogs grow weary & out of breath, or the bels to be full of earth, you must take vp the dogs, and take away their collars from them: wheras at the first they are of good ••eruice, and cause the Brocke the soo∣ner to take them to their stand.

But before you let slip the dogs, there must regard be had to view the earths, what manner of ones they be, and the place wherein they lie, and where the furthest parts of them are; for otherwise a man should but loose his labour: in so much as if the earths should be on the side of a hill, it were requisite that the dogs were put in vn∣derneath toward the valley, to the end that the brocke may be compelled and for∣ced to the vttermost end of the vppermost holes, where the said earths are not so deep as the other, and therefore may the more easily be digged.

But otherwise if the earth should be in some raised peece of ground, and therwith∣all round about the same, the rising ground being seated in the middest of a flat peece of ground, then the dogs must be put in at the holes which are highest, and neerest vnto the top of the rising ground: but before they be let slip and put into such earths, there must twentie or thirtie blowes bee giuen with the head of the spade vpon the highest parts of the earths, thereby to cause Brockes to remooue from out of the middest of them, and to cause them to descend to the furthest ends of their earthes which are in the bottome of the rising ground. There must alwaies two or three dogs be let slip at the mouths of the holes, that so by their vehemencie and eagrenesse they may part and put a sunder the Brocks which shal be together, and force them to flie to their rests,

They haue a tricke to stand the abbaie at the places where their holes doe meete, and stoutly to resist the dogs in such places: which, when it is perceiued, it is requisite to smite three or foure blowes with the spade, and if yet for all that they will not

remoue, you must forthwith discouer them with an a••gar. Then when it is perceiued that they are fled vnto the furthest part of their holes, you must not pierce through right vpon them, for then they would bolt forward againe into the wide spaces and meetings of their holes, and offer violence vnto the dogges: for which cause it beho∣ueth, that the hole be bored right ouer where the voice of the dogge soundeth with a round augar, for the nature thereof is to cast vp the earth, and not to let it fall downe within: and after that is done, presently to put a slat augar into the hole of the round augar, that so it may crosse the hole right in the middest, least the Brock should recoile vpon the dogge: and if it be possible to shut the dogge forth on the hinder part of the augar, it will be very good, for and if he should be shut within toward the sore-part of it, the Brocks might beat and handle him roughly, seeing that sometimes there are found mustered together in the vttermost end of one hole six or seuen, vvhich might beat and driue backe the dogge. When the hole is thus crosse-barred with the flat au∣gar, you must presently make a trench with spades and shouels, to the end that it may serue to set a man in, and at conuenient time to let in some dogges by the said trench, and to cause them to hold a bay in that place, vvhere a man may see warring and fighting on all sides. These things thus furthered, care must be had, that the Brockes doe not couer themselues with earth, vvhich they are verie readie to doe, being driuen vnto their vttermost places of flight, insomuch, as that the dogges are sometime vpon or our them, and yet not know where they are. Afterward, their fort being throwne downe, you must pull them forth, not by the whole bodie, but by the nether iawes: for if you should take them by the vvhole bodie, they might hurt the dogges: and if by the vpper iaw, then you might hurt their nose, which is in them very tender, insomuch, as that being hurt therein, be it neuer so little, they die incontinently. When they are thus drawne out, they would be put in some sacke, and after carried into some court or garden, closed in with walls, to make them coursing-game for young earth-dogges. But in the meane time it will be good to draw your bootes vpon your legges: for when they are once throughly heated, they spare not to runne vpon men after the manner of the vvild Bore, in such sort, as that oftentimes they carrie away with them pieces of their stockings, yea, the flesh also, which is vnder them.

CHAP. XL.

The hunting of the Conie.

WE haue entreated of Conies largely ynough vvhere vvee spake of the Warren, the hunting vvhereof is profitable, not onely in respect of the prouision of foode vvhich it ministreth, and that verie good, but likewise in respect of the dammage vvhich this little beast brin∣geth vnto Corne, Trees, and Hearbes: and that so dangerously (as Strabo vvri∣teth) as that certaine Nations vvere constrained, in the dayes of the raignes of Tiberius and Augustus, to send embassadours vnto the Romanes, that they might haue their aid and succour against the vrgent and ••ore pressing iniuries and dam∣mages vvhich their Countries sustained through the excessiue number of these lit∣tle beasts.

Wee haue make in our Treatise of the Warren two sorts of Conies, the one of the Clapper, and the other, of the Warren: Those of the Clapper are easie to hunt, because they are came, but those of the Warren are somewhat more hard to take, because their nature is more enclining vnto wildnesse: The manner of hun∣ting them is chiefely of two sorts, and both of them verie well knowne, that is to say, either with Pursnets, or with the Ferrets: As concerning the Ferrets, they are put into the holes of the Conies to fight with them, vvhereby they being astonished

and frighted, bolt forth by and by out of their holes, and fall into the pursnets which lie spred vpon the tops of their holes: sometimes the Ferret doth kill them within, which falleth out to bee the occasion of no small attendance oftentimes vnto the hunters.

Notes

• The flesh of the Fox is vnsauory
• The profit that the bodie of the foxe ••oth bring forth in medi∣cine.
• Brocks some like hogs and some like dogs.
• Two sorts of earth-dogs.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• The Foxe his borow.
• By what means the Fox com∣meth to haue such great 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪
• That the Foxe his vrine stin∣keth.
• How to take the Fox without hunting him.
• 〈…〉〈…〉
• That Conies are harmefull.
• Strabo.
• The hunting of the Conies of the Warren.