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.

Of the seasons in which it is best to haue yong whelpes, and howe you may best gouerne them. Chap. 8. (Book 8)

[illustration]

THere are certayne seasons in the which little whelps are hard to escape, or to be brought vppe, especially if they be whel∣ped

in the ende of October, bycause of the Wynter and coldes whiche then beginne to reygne, and for that mylke and other nouritures which are most meete for them, doe then beginne to fayle, and therefore it is then verie harde (if they be whelped in such season) that they shoulde escape death, for as muche as the Winter hath ouertaken them before they haue force to endure the colde, and though they doe escape, yet will they be small and weake. Another vnmeete season for whelpes is in Iuly and Au∣gust, bycause of the vehement heates, and the flyes, fleas, and o∣ther vermyne which then will torment them. But the best sea∣son to haue whelpes is in March, Apryll, and Maye, when the time is temperate and the heate not ouer greate. Also it is the right time which nature hath appoynted for the breeding of all lyuing creatures, as Kyne, Goates, Sheepe, and suche lyke, for that is the season most fytte for their nouriture. And seeyng that whelpes maye be bredde in all seasons, and that many de∣lyght to breede their kynde, and to nourishe them in what season to euer they come, I haue therfore thought good according to my fantasie, to gyue vnderstanding of meanes howe to preserue them.

Fyrst if they be whelped in Wynter, you shall take a Bar∣rell or a Pype well dryed, and knocke out the heade at the one ende thereof, afterwardes put strawe therein, and set it by a place where there is ordinarily a good fyre, then turne the open ende towardes the fyre, to the ende the whelpes may haue the ayre thereof, and you shall feede the damme with good pottage or broth made with Beefe or Mutton.

Then when the whelpes begynne to lappe, you shall accu∣stome them also vnto pottage, but such as haue no salte therein, bycause salte doth make them drye, and causeth them to become maungie, vnto the which disease they are subiect when they are whelped in winter.

Also you shall put in their pottage much Sage & other hote, hearbes: And if peraduenture you see that their haire do fall, you shall then annoynt thē with oyle of Walnuts & honny mingled together, & kepe them in their tun or which as cleane as you can,

and chaunge their strawe euery day: and when you perceiue that they beginne to goe, you shall haue a net made of strong thread, laced with a thong, and fasmed about the Tun or Pype, euen as they couer a Swyssers drūme, so that you may kepe them from going out, and that other dogs do not byte them, or that they be troden vpon or marred with mens feete. And you must make this pype or tunne in such sorte that it may be opened when you will. And as touching other whelpes which are bred in Som∣mer, they must be put in some freshe place whether other dogges come not ordinarily, and you should lay vnder them some har∣dle or watlyng with strawe therevpon, least the colde or moyst∣nesse of the earth doe annoy them, and that strawe must also be often changed. They ought also to be in some darke place, by∣cause the Flyes shall so least annoy them, and therewithall it shall be also good to annoynte them twyce a weeke with oyle of Nuttes myngled and beaten with Saffron bruzed to pou∣der, for that oyntment doth kyil all sortes of wormes, and re∣comfortes the skynne and the synewes of dogges, and keepeth them from byting of Flyes and Punayses. And sometyme you must also annoynte the Bytch in like manner, and put there to the iupce of Berue or wylde Cresseys, for feare least she fyll hir whelpes full of Fleas: and forget not to nourishe hir with pottage as is before rehearsed. When the whelpes shall be fyfteene dayes olde, you muste worme them, and eyght dayes after you may cut off one ioynte of theyr tayles, in suche fourme and manner as I will prescribe hereafter in the treatie of Receiptes. Afterwardes when they shall begynne to see and to rate, you muste gyue them good mylke alwayes hote, whe∣ther it be Cowes mylke, Gotes mylke, or Ewes mylke: and note, that it shall not be good to wayne them, and put them to keeping abroade, vntyll they be two monethes olde, and that for dyuers causes. One: bycause the longer they taste of theyr dammes teate, the more they shall take of hir complexion and nature, the which we may see by experience. For when a Bytch hath whelpes, let a mastyffe bytch gyue sucke to that one halft, and you shall fynde that they will neuer be so good as those

which the damme dyd bring vppe. Another cause is: that if you separate them one from another before they be two monethes olde at the least, they will be chyll and tender, and it will be straunge vnto them by want of their damme which was wont to keepe them warme.