The booke of faulconrie or hauking for the onely delight and pleasure of all noblemen and gentlemen: collected out of the best aucthors, asvvell Italians as Frenchmen, and some English practises withall concernyng faulconrie, the contentes whereof are to be seene in the next page folowyng. By George Turberuile Gentleman.

A treatise and briefe discourse, of the Cure of Spanels, vvhen they be any vvaye ouerheatte: deuised and written by Ma∣ster Francesco Sforzino Vicentino, the Italian, Gentleman Falconer.

[illustration] depiction of men with dogs and bird

HOwe necessary a thing a Spanell is to Falconrie, and for those that vse that pastime, keping Hawkes for their plea∣sure & recreatiō, I deeme no man doubteth, as well to spring and retriue a fowle being flowen to the marke, as also diuers

other wayes to assiste and ayde Falcons and Goshawkes. Wherefore, seeing that hythertoo in my collection, I haue spoken altogyther of Hawkes, bothe for the Ryuer and field, and in my conceyte, haue lefte fewe needefull poyntes for a good Falconer, vntouchte or treated of: nowe I shall not do amisse, nor wander ouer wyde from my purpose, if I saye somewhat of Spanells, without the which a Falconer, (spe∣cially vsing to flee the fielde) cannot be, without mayme of his pastime, and impayre of his gallant glee. And againe, for that they are subiect to many diseases and plagues, (as we com∣monlye terme them) for dogges, and longer than they are without infection, we may expect from them no pleasure, assi∣stance, or recreation: I wyll onelye in this treatise describe you their harmes, with cures due to the same. Among all whiche, I place the Mangie firste, as the capitall enimie to the quiete and beautie of a brane Spanell, wherewith they poore dogges, are oftentymes greately plagued, bothe to the infection of their fellowes, and the no slender griefe of their masters.

The waye to cure and discharge a Spanell of the Man∣gie,* 1.1 is to annoynte him eyther at the fire, or in the Sunne, thryce euery other daye, with an vnguent made of Barrowe flicke one pownde, common Oyle three ownces, Brimstone well brayed foure ownces, salte well beaten and broosed, ashes well syfted and sierced, of eyther twoo ownces, boy∣ling all these in a Kettle or potte of earth, mingling them well togyther, tyll the barrowe flicke bee incorporate and well compounded with the reste. With this vnguente thus made and confected, annoynte and besmeare all the bodie of your Spanell, and euery other parte of him, shifting his litter and kennell often, the oftener the better. And lastely, hauing thus done, washe him ouer and ouer with good strong lye, and it will mortifie and kill the Mangie.

But if perhappes (as commonly it falleth out) the Spa∣nell loose hir heare, though it proceeded not of the force of this

vnguent and strong medicine, yet it shalbe very good to bathe your Spanell, shredding his heare in this order, with the wa∣ter of Lupines, or Hoppes, and to annoynte hym with stale barrowes flicke.

This medicine, ouer and besides that, it cureth and quitteth the Mangie, it also maketh the Spanells skinne beautifull & fayre to looke to, and kylles the flies, the dogges disquieters and enimies, to his ease.

But when this foresayde remedie is not of force sufficient to rydde the mangie, but that it spreddes and getteth greater power and dominion ouer your Spanell: then doth it behooue you to deuise a farre stronger medicine, whiche is, to take of strong Uineger twoo quartes,* 1.2 or as muche as will suf∣fise, cōmon Oyle sixe ownces, Brimstone three ownces, sutte of a chimnie or potte, a quantitie of sixe ownces, brayed salte and serced, twoo handfulls: boyle all these aforesayde in the Vineger, vsing the former order of annoynting your Spanell in the Sommer tyme.

If neither of these remedies aforesayde wil serue the turne, then for a laste refuge, you muste be dryuen to practise with a farre stronger, than eyther of both. But in any wise, this me∣dicine muste not bee ministred in the colde of Winter, for it will then put the Spanell in greate hazard of death.

* 1.3Take quicke Syluer, as greate a quantitie as shall suffise, and mortifie it with stale barrowes flicke, or Larde, as if I shoulde sette you downe this proportion: Of Quicke Syluer, twoo ownces, Barrowes grease ten ownces, myngle them well togyther, vntill they be incorporated: with this vnguent annoynte your Spanell in the Sunne, tying him afterwards for the space of an houre in the Sunne, to the ende the vnguēt may syncke in, and pierce the deeper. Then washe him twice with blacke Sope, and obseruing this order of annoynting him euery other day twyce or thrice, assuredly you shall rydde him of all Manginesse, whatsoeuer it be.

But I muste tell you this by the way, that this vnguente

of Quicke Siluer, will cause hir heare to fail away. Where∣fore it shall be requisite, euery third or fourth day, to annoynt him with stale Bacon grease, for that will presently make his heare to growe and come againe.

If a Spanell be not very muche infected with the Mangie,* 1.4 then is it and easie matter to cure it in this sorte:

To make a kinde of breade with wheaten branne, and the rootes, leaues, and fruite, or flouers of the herbe which we call Agrimonie, beating it well in a morter, and making it into a paste or dowe baking it in an ouen, and so made to giue your Spanells of the sayd breade, as muche as they lyst to eate, and none other breade at all for a time. With foure or fiue of these loaues of breade, made in manner as I tell you, haue I cured my Spanels of the mangie, and some other of my friendes.

Though euery body for the most part, do know these com∣mon herbes, yet neuerthelesse I will follow mine Author, and set it downe with the same description as he doth.

Agrimonie, is an herbe that growes in meadowes & fields, neare vnto some roote of a tree, and vppon the mouth of sawe pittes, and other olde vncleane and vnoccupied places. The leaues of it do spreade vpon the grounde, they are a shaftment in length, iagged on eache side, like vnto the leafe of Hempe, diuided into fiue or moepartes and braunches, indented rounde aboute. It brings foorth one or twoo blackishe stalkes, vppon whiche there are certayne boughes, standing one distant from another, on whiche there are yellowe floures, and those flou∣res, beeing through rype, doe yeelde certayne rounde berries as bygge as a Peaze or Fatche, whiche wyll cleaue and hang to a mans garmentes, if hee once touche them. This descri∣ption doth my Italian Authoure make of the herbe Agrymo∣nie, whereof he woulde haue this bread made to cure the man∣gie Spanell. I leaue it ouer to thy vse and discretion, till thou neede it.

Of diuers accidentes that happen to dogges, and first of that ill, which is called Formica.

EVery man dothe knowe, that there is a kinde of vyle dis∣ease that lyghtes vppon Spanels eares, whiche dothe greatly vexe them, in the Sommer tyme especially with the flyes, and the scratting and tearing themselues with theyr owne feete. We terme it in Englishe, a kinde of Mangie, but bothe the Latinist, and the Italian terme it Formica. The Frenche man hee calleth it, Fourmyer, whiche in trouthe is in Englishe nothing else but an Ante, or Pysmere, applyed heere in this place to a dogges disease, for some likelyhoode and propertie betwixte the Pysmere and the mischiefe, whiche is accustomed to creepe and go further and further, with his infection, to the greate anoyance of the poore Spanell, euen as the Pysmere is euer busie, trauayling too and fro, and ne∣uer vnoccupied.

* 1.5The waye to rydde this vyle disease and mischiefe, is to bestowe vpon the infected place, a medicine made of Gumme Dragaganthe, foure ownces, infused in the strongest Vyneger that may bee gotten, by the space of eyght dayes: and after∣wardes broosed on a Marble stone, as Paynters do their co∣loures, adding vnto it, Roche Alome and Galles, beaten to powder, of eyther twoo ownces. Vsing these things as I haue shewed you, you maye make a powder of maruey∣lous force: for this purpose, laying it vppon the member where the Mangie lyes. This no question, wyll kyll the Formica.

* 1.6Sometimes there befalles this mischiefe vpon poore Spa∣nels. There droppeth downe an humor from their braynes, by meane of whiche their throates and neckes do swell vnrea∣sonably. For remedie of this, I wyll aduise you to take no∣thing more, than to annoynte all the place withoute with Oyle of Camomil, then washing and embroching the dogges

throate rounde about the griefe with Vineger not ouerstrōg, and with Salte. If you do this, you shall recouer your Spa∣nell, and dryue awaye this distillation of ill humors, that fall out of the Spanels heade, causing the greate swelling in the throate.

Of a kinde of woormes, breeding in the hurtes and mangie partes of a Spanell.

SOmetymes when a Spanell hath taken a hurt or wounde, there do ingender in the wounde certaine woormes, that do hinder the cure of the hurt, causing it to continue at one staye, or to growe woorse and woorse. Wherefore it shall be very ne∣cessarie to endeuour to kill them, which you shal do assuredly, if you conuey into the wounde nothing but the gumme of I∣uie,* 1.7 called in Latine, (Gumma Hederae) keeping it there for the space of one day or twoo, washing the wound with wine, and after that annoynting it with Bacon grease, Oyle of earth∣woormes, and Rewe.

Moreouer, a iuyce made of the greene pilles and ryndes of Wallnuttes, or the powder of dryed Lupynes is very good. Likewise powder of wylde Cucumbers, is excellent to kyll those woormes: and not that alone, but it will play the parte of a Corrosyue, fretting awaye the deade fleshe, and encreasing the good.

But when the woormes growe within the body of a Spa∣nell,* 1.8 they muste bee killed in this manner, with an inwarde receyte.

Cause your Spanell, eyther by loue or force, to eate,* 1.9 when hee is fasting, the yolke of an egge, with twoo scruples of good Saffron beaten into powder, & confected with the sayde egge,* 1.10 keeping him after it from meate, till night.

When a Spanel is hurte, as long as hee can come to licke the wounde with his tongue, he needes no other remedie. His

tongue is his Surgeon. But when he cannot possible licke it, then suche woundes as bee not venemous, you maye resolue with the powder of Matresilua, dryed in an Ouen, or in the Sunne. And if it be the byte of a foxe, it shall suffise to an∣noynte it with Oyle, wherein earth wormes and Rewe haue bene boyled togither.

But if it were bytten by a madde dogge, it shall bee beste presently to thruste through the skinne of his heade and poll with a hotte yron, iuste betwixt the eares, so as the fire may touche bothe sides of the hole made: And after that, with your hande to plucke vp the skynne of the dogges shoulders and flanckes backewardes, thrusting it through with the hot yron in like manner.

The gyuing of this vent to the wounde, will greatly plea∣sure the Spanell, and is a ready way to cure him.

Besides the application of this canterie and fire, there is one other approued remedie, and that is, to cause your Spanell to lappe twice or thrice of the brothe of Germander, and eate the Germander it selfe boyled. I neede not to describe the herbe, it is so well knowen: but my Author settes oowne his propor∣tion and floure. It beares a iagged leafe, and hath a purple or blew floure, and in shape it is like a little Oke.

This herbe Germander, sodden and confected with salte & Oyle, eyther simply broosed togither, or made into a paste, and giuen vnto a Spanell, will do him very much good in the cure of the byte of a madde dogge.

* 1.11Nowe and then Spanels, by meane of too muche reste and grease, and some other accident besides, doe loose their sense of smelling, so as they cānot spring or retriue a fowle after their accustomed maner. In this case it shalbe very good, to skowre a Spanell in this manner.

Take Agaricke twoo drammes, Sal gemma one scruple, beate these into powder, and incorporate them with Oximel, making a pill as bigge as a nutte, conuey the pill into butter, and so gyue it the Spanell, eyther by loue or force, as he may

swallowe it. This will bring him to a quicke sente and sense a∣gayne, as I haue oftentymes approued.

To cut off the tip of a Spanels tayle or sterne.

IT is verie necessarie to cutte off a little of the Spanels tayle, when it is a whelpe for sundry occasions: for in so doing, you shall deliuer him, and be a meane that no kynde of woorme or other mischiefe shall greatly offende that parte of your Spanell: Whiche, if it be not cutte a little at the verie poynte and toppe, is subiect to many euils and inconueniences, and wyll be a cause that the dogge will not dare to prease ouerhastily into the couert after his game. Besydes the benefite of it, the Dogge becommes more beautifull by cutting the toppe of his sterne: for then will it bushe out verie gallantly, as experience will teache you.

It shall be good when Spanell whelpes are one moneth olde or somewhat more, to worme them vnder the toung:* 1.12 for there haue they a string verie like vnto a worme, which must be pluckt away by some deuise or other. This is the order of it. If it bee a whelpe of a moneth olde, they take him and open his flew and iawes with a mannes hande: but if it be a bigger Spanell, then do they conuey a rounde sticke into his mouthe, to keepe it wyde open: which done, they plucke out the Dogges toung, and with a sharpe knyfe of purpose for it, they slitte the toung all alongst where the worme lyes, on bothe sydes, and so verie artificially with the poynt of the knife, they rayse vp the worme the better to pull it away. But in this case there muste be care vsed, that the worme be not cut asunder, but had cleane awaye, without lea∣uing any parte of it behynde.

Some men do vse (in the taking away of this woorme in a Spanels toung a needle or suche lyke instrument with a double twisted threede hanging to it, two shaftmentes in length, thru∣sting the needle quite vnderneath the worme iust in the middle of it, drawing the needle so farre vntill the double twisted threede be leuell with the middle of the worme, then drawing it harde with the hand, they pull it out (but by not drawyng the threede

artificially, many tymes the worme breakes in two peeces, and then it is a verie harde matter to come by that parte that is slipte and left behinde. Wherfore in myne opinion, the first is the better way to dispatche him cleane. For when this worme is once quite drawne out, the Spanell will become farre the fairer, and waxe ••he fatter. Many tymes the want of worming doth keepe a Spa∣nell poore, and out of flesh, so as he can not proue. And (as aun∣cient writers affirme) the worming doth discharge the Spanell of madnesse and frenesse (which I can hardly credite or beleeue: the infection and biting of an other madde Dogge beeing so ve∣nemous, as it is able to worke great effecte in the Dogge, that is bitten.)

Thus muche I thoughte good to write of Spanels, and their diseases and cures, for that they are superintendantes, and necessarie seruantes, both for the Hawke and the Falconer, with∣out whome, the sporte woulde bee but colde, and the toyle farre more than it is to the man. Wherfore it shall not be amisse for a good Falconer, always to breede and keepe of the beste kynde of Spanels that he may come by, and so to respect them, as they heate not at any tyme: Or if they doe by misfortune or negli∣gence of your lackey boye, then to regarde their cure, which may be done in manner as I haue heere sette downe: And withall to vse due correction to the boy. For a good Spanell maketh a good Hawke, and a curst maister, a carefull footeman. Farewell. (∵)

FINIS.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The cure for the mangie.
• * 1.2

  Another re∣medie more strong.
• * 1.3

  A verie strong medi∣cine for the Mangie.
• * 1.4

  A waye to cure the man∣gie withoute any vnguent.
• * 1.5

  The cure.
• * 1.6

  Of the swel∣ling in the Spanels throate.
• * 1.7

  The cure.
• * 1.8

  Of woormes within the body.
• * 1.9

  The cure.
• * 1.10

  VVhē a spa∣nell is bytten by a Foxe, or mad dogges.
• * 1.11

  To helpe a spanell that hath loste his sense of smel∣ling.

  The cure.
• * 1.12

  To worme a Spanell.