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 keepe and make Sarowhawkes.

[illustration] depiction of hawk

IF you would know how to féede and man Sparowhawkes that be taken tender penned out of theyr eyrie, it is méet y^e you kéepe them in a fresh and swéet place, and giue them as much as they will eate of small birdes, as Sparrowes, Mart∣lets,

and such like. And also you may giue them other flesh, but sée that it be swéet, cleane, & good, shred into small pellets vpon a cleane trencher. When they begin to waxe fullsomed, giue them Sparowes, and other small birds whole, that they may learne to plume, foote, and tyre: and set them a bason of cleane water in a heape of sand, that they may bath therein, & proine and picke their feathers. They that be thus dealt withall doe not know how to prey, & therefore you must enter thē bytrains in this maner. Take a yong chicken which is of color & plume like a Feasant or Partrich, & cast it out before your sparhawk. But if she flée not vnto it, nor do foot it, then strip the skin vpō the head of the chicken vntill it bléed, & she will lightly seaze it, thinking that it is flesh to féed vpon. Thē féed her vpon it well, and thus you shall vse her vntill she will seaze a chicken of her selfe. When she will take a chicken of her selfe, goe into some fayre close or meadow, where nothing may bee to interrupt you, and take a yong chicken, and throwe it vp vnto your hawke, vntill she flée to it and foot it: then féed her vp there∣vppon, and coye her as much as you can deuise: For Nyasse Sparowhawkes are much more daungerous and coy than o∣thers be. When your Sparowhawke will foot a chicken well as before sayd, then you may traine her thus. Cause some of your seruants or others to stand close in some ditch or other priuy corner, with a liue chicken in his hand: and stand your selfe with your Sparowhawke vpon your fist a little distance from him: then cry and speake as you would speake, and cry to your spaniels when they range the field. And when you thinke that your sparowhawk looketh that way as he y^t hath the train standeth, let him cast vp the chicken as high as he can, and let your Sparhawke flée thereat and seaze it. That done reward her, and féed her therevpon, making much of her, & chéering her euermore among. Thus shall you do twice a day. When you haue thus trained her, moūt on your horseback, & giue her like trains in the field as before said. Then set her sharpe against an euening, and go out to séeke some game: & if you find, séeke to make her one flight at aduantage, and let her flée but once, and

sup her vp vpon the prey. Thus in foure or fiue dayes at y^e be∣ginning I would haue you let her flée but one flight in a day, rewarding her well alwaies when shée killeth any thing, to the end shée may know her game the better, and take the greater delight therein, vntill she be throughly nousled. To kéepe your Sparrowhawke in good order, rise early in the morning, and taking her vpon your fist, tap her on the trayne with your two forefingers, and stroke on her wings that shée may mantle and warble, and aduance her selfe bolt vpright, and delicately vpō your fist. Sometimes also take off her hoode, and put it on a∣gaine faire and softly, for rebuking her. When you haue kept her two howres vppon the fist, then set her in the Sunne to weather her halfe an howre: that being done, call her to your fist with meat, and whistle to heroften, and chirpe with your lippes, that she may learne to know that voyce when you call her, & when she commeth reward her well. Thus you should vse her daily, vntill she come well to the fist: remēbring alwaies that you deale with her as gently, and as amiably as you can deuise. When she is well manned, and well comming, trie if she couet not the water to bath her. And if she do bath, thē may you afterwards flée with her: But first, get on horsebacke, and call her from off the ground with a cryance, for feare least shée should thinke strange to come to you on horsebacke: and if shée come well to you from the ground, being on horsebacke, then may you boldly flée with her. But remember alwaies to espie some flight with aduātage at the first, for discouraging of your Hawke: For if she be once well nousled and entred, you may afterwards be the bolder how and when to flée with her.