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.

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

IT is very necessary to cut 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 kind of worme or other mischiefe shall greatly offend that part of your Spanell: Which, if it be not cut a little at the very point and toppe, is subiect to many euils and inconueniences, and will be a cause that the dog will not dare to presse ouerhastily into the couert after his game. Besides the benefite of it, the Dog becomes more beautifull by cutting the toppe of his sterne: for then will it bush out very gallantly, as experience will teach you.

It shall be good when Spanell whelpes are one moneth old or somewhat more, to worme them vnder the tong: for there haue they a string very like to a worme, which must be pluckt away by some deuise or other. This is the order of it: If it be a whelpe of a moneth old, they take him and open his flew and tawes with a mans hand: but if it be a bigger Spanell, then do they conuay a round sticke into his mouth, to kéepe it wide open: which done, they plucke out the Dogges tong, and with a sharpe knife of purpose for it, they slyt the tong all alongst where the worme lyes, on both sides, and so very artificially with the point of the knife, they rayse vp the worme the better to pull it away. But in this case there must be care vsed, that the worme be not cut asunder, but had cleane away, without leauing any part of it behind.

Some men do vse (in the taking away of this worme in a Spanels tong) a néedle or such like instrument with a double twisted thréed hanging to it, two shaftments in length, thru∣sting the néedle quite vnderneath y^e worme iust in y^e middle of it, drawing the néedle so farre vntill the double twisted thréed be leuell with the middle of the worme, then drawing it hard with the hand, they pull it out (but by drawing the threed

artificially, many times the worme breakes in two péeces, and then it is a verie harde matter to come by that parte that is slipt and left behind. Wherefore in mine 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 the fatter. Many times the want of worming doth kéepe a Spanell poore, and out of flesh, so as he can not proue. And (as ancient writers affirme) the worming doth discharge the Spanell of madnesse and frensie (which I can hardly credite or beléeue: the infection and biting of an other madde Dogge being so venemous, as it is able to worke great effecte in the Dogge that is bitten.)

Thus much I thought good to write of Spanels, and their diseases and cures, for that they are superintendants, and ne∣cessarie seruants, both for the Hawke and the Falconer, with∣out whome, the sport would bee but colde, and the toyle farre more than it is to the man. Wherefore it shall not be amisse for a good Falconer, alwayes to bréede and kéepe of the best kinde of Spanels that he may come by, and so to respect them, as they heate not at any time: Or if they doe by misfortune or negly∣gence of your lackey boye; then to regard their cure, which may be done in manner as I haue héere set downe: And withall to vse due correction to the boy. For a good Spanell is a great iewel: and a good Spanell maketh a good Hawke, and a curst maister, a carefull footeman. Farewell. (∵)

Notes

• To worme a Spanell.