The booke of falconrie or havvking for the onely delight and pleasure of all noblemen and gentlemen : collected out of the best authors, aswell Italians as Frenchmen, and some English practises withall concerning falconrie / heretofore published by George Turbervile, Gentleman.

Out of the Italian concerning the Goshawkes, and their kinds.

THere are sundry sorts of Goshawkes, according to the di∣uersity of places and regions. There be hawkes of Arme∣nia, Sclauonia, Sardinia, Calament, of the Aples which they vse in Lombardy, Tuscan, Marca and Puglia, some other of Rus∣sia, Fr••uli, Almania, and othersome of Lombardie, all which I will briefly touch vnto you, and not long dwell in the matter, hauing out of my French Authors already decyphered the na∣tures of the most part of them.

First of all there are Goshawkes, calledt Armenia hawkes, much differing from the Goshawke, in sort as almost, they haue no resemblance at all to the other kinds of Goshawkes. They are very faire and huge, the mayle of them is blanke, as sundry Haggart Falcons be, they flée with great courage and life, all greater sort of fowles.

There are others eyried in Slavonia and Dalmacia, and thence are they tearmed Slauon Goshawkes, which indéed are good for any thing a man will employ them vnto. Very faire and hardy hawkes, large footed, very well penned, their downe and plumage excellent fine, their tongues blacke, and their nares large and wide

Those of Sardinia are nothing like the other hawkes, they are browne and russet plumed, small hawkes, hard and not small footed, and nothing ventrous.

Those of Calament are short trussed hawkes, and large, blanke seared on the foot, those flée the greater fowles excéeding

well.

The Goshawkes of the Alpes, and of Calabria, are in a ma∣ner more large then they are long, very prowde, and hardy Hawkes.

The Goshawkes of Lombardy are not very large, browne maylde, and cowardly kytes to do any good.

The Goshawke of Russia and Sarmatia, is a large and huge Hawke, the most part of them are blanke Hawkes, and taken vp of great Princes and Nobles states, they are apt and able to doe any thing that may be looked for from Hawkes of that kind. My selfe haue séene great store of them in the Citie of Mosqua, which is the chiefe Dukedome of all Russia. The Moscovites and Tartarians do vse to flée with those Goshawks at the brooke, and there do beat vp the fowle with the drumme, without which you shall seldome sée a Boyaron (as they tearme them) which is a Gentleman, ryde at any time. And one speciall thing which I noted among them was, that as well Moscovites as Tartaros, do vse to beare their Hawkes on the right fist, which is cleane contrary to our manner and guise héere in England, or in any other Region that I haue heard or séene, saue onely in those North parts, no reason I can yéeld for it, but that each country for the most part hath his fashion.

Those of Friulie are good Hawkes and large, but not so faire as the Slavon Hawkes.

Note this, that a good Goshawke ought to be little, and broad shouldred, large breasted, very round and fleshly, hauing a long thigh, a short legge or arme, and the same great, and a large foote, and not gowty, but slender. Contrariwise, the Tiercell should be large, for it is a common saying,

A little Hawke, and a large Tiercell, is euer best.

All Goshawks are by nature gréedy, and catching, of whome some doe vse to flée the riuer, and fresh brookes, and some the Sea, and othersome againe the field, and neuer or very seldome the riuer or brooke.

The first sort for the most part doe prey vpon Duckes, Géese, Hearons, Shouelers, and such like fowle as do vsually haunt, and liue in the Sea and Riuers. And those diuers times doe seaze and take their prey vppon the sodayne at vn∣wares, by fléeing low neare the ground, and stealing vpon the fowle.

The other, after a while that they haue vsed to flée the field, do prey on Pigeons, Pullets, Hennes, and Partridges. And being once mewed Hawkes, and past their soarage, they will take the stand vpon some trée, and finding eyther Partridge, Fezant, Pullet, Henne, or such other like fowle, they make their stooping so fiercely, and in such great hast, and doe flée them so farre before head and at randon, mayntaining, and making good their flight, as in the end they kill them, and doe prey vpon them.

Of the Goshawkes, those that be ventrous and hardy will kill the Hare, and hauing kilde him, diuerse times they swallow in for hast great bones, and doe put them ouer very well, and endure them safely without any hurte of all.

Those that are the riuer Goshawkes, and doe haunt the water, and brookes, are commonly the most hardy and ven∣trous Hawkes of all that kind, and doe at the Riuer of their owne inclination and nature, fall to kill the great Fowles of the Riuer, of which I haue before made recitall and men∣tion.

Truely the Goshawke is very much to be regarded for her hardy mettle and courage, for that therein shée is not inferiour to any kind of Hawke, but rather more fierce and eager. And againe to bee kept with greater care, for that shée is more choyce and daynty, and dooth looke to haue a more nice hand kept on her, then any other kind of Fal∣con or Hawke, vnlesse it be the Sparrowhawke, which is all

one in a manner in nature with the Goshawke, and of whome I purpose now to write.