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 make a Falcon to the Hearon.

NOw to teach you to make a flight at the hearon: although it be the most noblest and stately flight that is, and plea∣sant to behold, yet there is no such art or industry therein as in the other flights. For the Hawke fléeth the Hearon: moued by nature, as against her proper foe: but to the riuer shée fléeth as taught by the industry & diligence of the Falconer. Then must it néedes follow, that (such Falconers as haue flowen at the riuer, when the end of the moneth of February, or the be∣ginning of March is come, a time when Hearons beginne to make their passage) if you will make those Falcons to that flight, you must cease fléeing at the riuer with them any lon∣ger: but you must pull them downe and make them light, the which you shall doe by féeding them with no wilde meats, but the hearts and flesh of Lambs, Calues, and chickens, and cal∣ling of them to the lure with other make Falcons, that is to say a cast at once, to the end they may accustome and acquaint themselues one with another, and so may the better flée the Hearon by helping one another, and by succouring each other. Herein you must take good héed so to acquaint them that they crabbe not together, for so would they doe when they come to the flight, whereby they might be in perill to bee spoyled or kil∣led. When your Falcons be skowred and cleane, so as béeing sharpe set, they may be called hungry hawkes, or (as Falco∣ners tearm them) eager hawkes, you must get a liue Hearon, vpon the vpper part of whose bill or truncke you must con∣uey the ioynt of a réede or Cane, so as shee may not hurt the

hawke therewith: that being done, tie the Hearon in a Cri∣ance, then setting her vpon the ground, vnhood your hawke, to the end that when she espieth the Hearon, she may flée her: and if she doe so, make in apace to succour her, & let her plume, & take blood of it, allowing her the braines, the marrow of the bones, with the heart all together: (the Italians call it Soppa.) Hauing thus laid it vpon your Hawking gloue, giue it your Hawke: and afterwards rippe the breast of the Hearne, & let your Hawke feed thereon vntill she bée well gorged. This bée∣ing done, hoode her vp vpon the Hearon, suffering her plume thereon with all the fauour that may be: then take her vpon your fist, and let her tyre a little vpon the foote or pynion of the wing. But if a Falconer haue not store of Hearons to traine withall (as often it hapneth, by mean the fowle is rare and daintie,) then may he doe thus: When he hath armed or cased the Hearons tronke with a Cane or réed, as before said, he may take a péece of a Calues skinne, or such other like, as long as the necke of a Hearon, & beginning at the head, con∣tinuing to the shoulders & body of the Hearon, let him sew it in proportion & shape of a sheath, that it may arme the hearons necke & head: & afterwards with a pensill, pen, & incke, or such other deuice, let him paint it as like as he can to the necke and head of an hearon, with fethers & euery thing to the purpose. Then let him set the counterfeit Hearon vpon the ground, as before said: and when the Hawke doth flée it and foot it, he must haue a quicke yong Pigeon, the which he must hansomly con∣uey vnder the Hearons wing, and let the Hawke plume and féede thereon, reseruing the hearon safe for an other time, and to make traine againe with it the next day. Then hauing thereupon rewarded your Hawke, and coyed her sufficient∣ly, you may goe the next day into a meadow, or other conue∣nient place with your Falcon on your fist: and giuing the Hearon armed as before said, to some other which may holde it vnder his arme a good way off from the Hawke, as halfe an Arrowe shoote or more: Then your Hawke be∣ing

vnhooded, giue signe vnto him to throw vp the hearon on hie, and if your hawke seaze it, reward and féede her with a pigeon as before saide, dealing familiarly with her, and the third day you may doe again in like manner, causing him that holdeth the traine to hide himselfe as close as he can, and to cast out the Hearon as farre from him as he may. All these being done, and the Hawke hauing thus often taken her train to your liking, you may the fourth day in a fayre field, put out the Hearon without cryance, or arming her at all: and when shée is vp of a reasonable height, you may cast off your Hawke, who if she bind with the Hearon and bring it down, then make in apace to rescue her, thrusting the Hearons bill into the ground, breake his wings and legges that the hawk may the more easily foote and plume it. Then reward her as bountifully as you can with the braines, the marrow of the bones and the heart as is before declared (making her the Ita∣lian Soppa) many vse to make a traine another way, which dooth not mislike me, and that is this: they cause one to clime a trée with the Hearon, from thence he casteth her out to the Hawke, and then they let their hawkes flée as before said. But as touching these traines, it behoueth that the Falconer bée of good iudgement, as also in diuers other things. For euen as the Hawke doth flée them with better or worse list and life, so behoueth if that the traines prouided be stronger or weaker accordingly. (∵)