The noble arte of venerie or hunting VVherein is handled and set out the vertues, nature, and properties of fiutene sundrie chaces togither, with the order and maner how to hunte and kill euery one of them. Translated and collected for the pleasure of all noblemen and gentlemen, out of the best approued authors, which haue written any thing concerning the same: and reduced into such order and proper termes as are vsed here, in this noble realme of England. The contentes vvhereof shall more playnely appeare in the page next followyng.

The tokens vvhereby a man may knovve a good and fayre Hounde. Chapt. 6. (Book 6)

[illustration]

AHound whiche should be good and fayre ought to haue these markes following. First I wil begin at the head, the whiche ought to be of a meane proportion, and is more to bee esteemed when it is long, than when it is short snowted, the nostrelles ought to be greate and wide opened, the cares large, side, and of a meane thicknesse, the chine of the backe compasse bowed like a Roch, the fillettes

great, also the haunches great and large, the thigh well trus∣sed, and the hamme streight and well compassed, the tayle bigge neare the reynes, and the rest slender vnto the very end, the heare vnderneath the belly hard, the legge bigge, the soale of the foote drie and formed like a Foxes foote, the clawes greate: and you shall note, that seldome shall you see suche dogges as are short trussed, (hauing their hinder parts high∣er than their foreparts) to proue swift. Now to declare vnto you the significatiō of these marks, you shall vnderstand y^t the open nostrells do betoken a dogge of perfect sent, the ridge or chine of the backe rochbent, and the hamme streight, betoken swiftnesse, the tayle great neare the reynes and lōg and loose towardes the ende, betokeneth good and greate force in the reynes, and that the dogge is long breathed, the hard heare vnderneath the belly doeth signifie that he is paynefull, and feareth neyther water nor colde, the bigge legge, the Foxes foote and the great clawes, do betoken that the foote of such an hound is not fatte, and that he is strong in all his members, and able to endure long without surbaiting of himselfe.