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 vse a Hawke to the hoode

IT hapneth oftentimes that Falconers haue hawkes which come from Ciprus, Candya, Alexandria, and other far coun∣tryes,

the which hauing béene in the hands of such as could not well skill of them, become coy and very vntowarde to bée hoo∣ded, and will hardly be wonne to abide the Hoode by any meanes. In this case you must first séele your Hawke, and beeing séeled, you must fitte her with a large easie hoode: and hoode and vnhoode her often therewith, watching her a night or two, and handling her oftentimes about the head as before sayde, vntill shée haue forgotten that fault. And when shée once doth leaue it, you may vnseale her in an euening by can∣dle light, handling her still softly with your hand about the head, hooding and vnhooding her oftentimes, vntill shée will well abide the Hoode, and brooke to be handled. And here I thinke good to expresse mine opynion, that he which taketh in hand to be a Falconer, ought first to be very patient, and ther∣withall to take singular delight in a Hawke, so that hée may séeme to be in loue (as it were naturally) with his Hawke, e∣uen that a man would say, it were a thing bread so in the bone as it could neuer bee rooted out of the flesh. For such a man with neuer so little paine and industrye, will become an excel∣lent Falconer: but he which taketh not that delight in his Hawke, but doth rather exercise it for a pompe and boast, than vpon a naturall instinct: or being a poore man, doth vse it to get his liuing, such a man in mine opinion shall seldome proue a perfect Falconer, but a mar-hawke, and shall beare the bagge after a right Falconer.

To turne to my purpose, when your hawke beeing so sée∣led, doth féede well, and will abide the Hoode: and to bée handled, without striking or byting at your hand: then in an Euening by Candlelight you shall vnséele her, and with your finger and a little spittle, annoynt the place where the séeling thread was drawne through. And when you haue hooded her, take her on your fist, and holde her so all night vntill day appeare againe, doing off her Hoode often∣times, and handling her gently with your hand, stroking hersoftly about the wings and the body, hooding and vnhoo∣ding of her, and giuing her sometimes to féede, a morsell or

twaine, or sometimes tyring or plumage. But aboue all things you must watch her on the fist so many nights together, with∣out setting her downe on any pearch, that she may be wearie, and suffer you to hoode and handle her gently without any manner of resistance, and vntill shée haue altogether left and forgotten her striking and byting at your hand: but some hawkes will belong before they leaue that fault, as the more coy or ramage that they be, the longer they will retaine those ill tatches, and will not peraduenture be wonne from them in thrée, foure, or fiue dayes. When shée is well reclaymed from it, then may you let her sit vpon a pearch to rest her. But euery night you shall doe well to kéepe her on the fist thrée or foure houres, handling her and stroking her gently, and causing her to tyre or to plume, alwayes making of her, and hooding and vnhooding her oftentimes, as before said. And the like may you doe also by day light, but in a Chamber apart, where shée may see no great light vntill shée feede surely and eagerly with∣out dread.