To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
SParowhawkes are to bee considered as all other kindes of hawkes are, according to their age and disposition. Some of them are named Nyasses, some Braunchers, some Soare∣hawkes, and some mewed hawkes: Some also Haggarts,
béeing mewed in the woode, they are called Nyasses, which are taken in the eyrée. Branchers are those, that hauing for∣saken the eyrée, are fodde by the old hawke vpon the boughes and branches neare about the eyrée, and thereupon they are called Branchers: afterwards they are called Soarehawks. They are called Soarehawkes, because when they haue for∣saken the wood, and beginne to prey for themselues, they flée vp aloft vpon pleasure, which with vs Falconers is called soa∣ring. Mewed hawkes are all hawkes that haue once or more shifted their feather: and Haggarts are they which prey for themselues, & doe also mew themselues eyther in the wood, or otherwise at large. To beginne with the Nyasse which is of greatest difficulty to bring vnto any perfection, you must first féede her in some fresh coole Chamber or parler vpon the ground. And the same chāber should haue two windows not very large, whereof that one should open towards the North, and that other towards the East, to take the fresh coole ayre, or the comfort of the Sunne at her pleasure. These win∣dowes must be open, barred ouerthwart with lathes, or thin bordes, so thicke that neyther your hawkes may gette out, nor your Catte may come in. And in this Chamber caste and strew Vine leaues, and other fresh leaues. For it refesheth a hawke maruailously to rest vpon them. And for the same consideration it shall not be amisse to sette two or thrée great frée stones in the chamber, whereuppon the Hawkes may sitte coole and fresh. You must also haue two or thrée pearches lined or couered, one a little higher than a∣nother, so that the hawke as she groweth huger and huger, may flée from one pearch to another, and neuer hurt her féete. And when she is full sommed, so as she can flée, then wil it be méete and most necessarie to sette some large bason, or other vessell full of Water, that shée may bath her at pleasure therein. For that is not onely very wholesome for her bodie, but also will make her put out her feathers the better, & the fa∣ster. And you shall doe well to shift her water euery three
dayes. You shall féed her with young Sparrowes, Marte∣lettes, and young Pigeons, and sometimes with shéepes hearts: and whiles shee is very young and little, you should cutte her meate, and shredde it in small pellets vppon a tren∣cher, or a cleane boorde for the purpose, setting it so neare her that shee may reach it with her beake, and feede. Thus you shall fade her twice, or more euery day, euen as you shall sée her endew it, or (as Falconers say) put it ouer. Be∣ware that you giue her not gorge vpon gorge, for that will make her cast her gorge. But when shee is full sommed, and fléeth about, then you shall doe better to giue her whole birdes, and sometimes to féede her vpon your fist, suffering her to kill and straine the liue birdes in your hand: Yea and sometimes to put quicke birdes into the chamber to her, that shée may learne to know them, to foote them, and to kill them, and let her féede vpon them her selfe in your pre∣sence. For that shall bée very good as well to noule her, as also to make her leaue that vile condition which commonly all Nyasses haue, which is, to carry and hide their prey in some hedge or ditch, or secret place: and therein they will sitte very close for being heard, when they heare or perceiue their Kéeper to séeke them. Whereupon their Kéepers are oftentimes euill troubled and displeased. And also it shall not bée amisse, euery morning to goe into the saide Chamber, and to call them to the fist, whistling and chirping with your mouth, for by that means you shall both man them through∣ly, and also you shall gaine the time which you should else spend afterwardes, in making them when they were ready to bée drawne out of the faid chamber.