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.

How a man should enter his yong houndes to hunte the Harte, and of the quaries and rewardes that he shall giue them. Chap. 14. (Book 14)

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WHen the Hunte hath taught his houndes to know and beleeue the hallow, and the sound of his horne, then the galloppers, prickers, and huntsmē on horsebacke seyng their houndes strong enough and aboute seuentene or eightene moneths olde, shall then beginne to enter and to teach them, and they shall haue them a fielde but once a weeke at the moste, for feare least they should marre them, for houndes are neuer suffi∣ciently knit in their ioyntes and members vntill they be two yeares old at the least: and aboue all things whosoeuer would hunte the Harte at force, must vnderstand three secretes. The first is that he neuer accustome his houdes to runne a Hinde, nor giue them any quarrie or rewarde thereof, bycause there is difference betwene the sent of a Harte and a Hynde, as you may see by ex∣perience that houndes do oftētimes single that one from that o∣ther and yet houndes are of such nature that the first beast which a man doth enter them at, and that they first take pleasure in, and haue bene therewith rewarded, they do alwaies remēber it most, and thereby you may be sure that if you giue them rewardes or bring them to the quarrie of a Hynde, they would desire it more than the Harte. The second secrete is, that it is not good to enter yong houndes within a toile, for there a Harte doth nothing but turne and cast aboute, since he cannot runne endlong, when the hoūdes are in māner alwayes in sight of him, and if afterwards you should runne a Harte (with dogges so entred) at force, and out of a toyle, and that the Harte tooke endlong, eloygning him self from the houndes, they woulde quickly giue him ouer: and yet there is another thing whiche dothe more hurte vnto suche hoūdes as are entred into a toyle, for if a Harte do turne two or three times before them, they take aswell the countrie, as the right tracke, breakyng their course, & putting themselues out of breath, and neither learne to hunte nor to quest, nor to do any o∣ther thing but rayse vp their heads still to see y^e Harte. The third secrete is that you enter not your houndes, nor beginne to teach them in the morn•…•…ng if you can chuse, for if a man do firste ac∣custome them to the freshe of the mornyng, if afterwardes they chaunce to Hunte in the heate of the day, they will quickly

giue ouer, but you may enter them and rewarde them in this manner. Firste you ought to haue regarde that the Harte be in pryme of greace, bycause then he cannot so easily conuey himself nor eloygne himself before the houndes, as he would do in May or in Aprill, bicause they are heauier then, and cannot stand vp so long, then may you choose out a Forest wherein the Relaies be of equall proportion, and for your purpose, after place al your yong houndes togither with foure or fiue old houndes to enter them. And then leade them to the furdest and last Relaye, and cause the Harte to be hunted vnto them, with some good kenell of hounds whiche may keepe hym from resting or staying by the way, to the ende that when he shalbe ariued and come vnto them, and waxeth now wearie and almoste spent, you may then vncouple your olde Houndes firste, and when they haue well beaten and founde the tracke or sent of the Harte, beyng well entred in crie, you may also vncouple your yōg houndes, and hallow them in to the olde houndes, and you muste haue three good prickers, or Huntesinen on horsebacke at the least, to the ende that if there be any yong hounde whiche woulde carie or hang behind, beyng opinionate or musing and ploddyng by himselfe, the Horsemen may beate him well and make him come in to the rest: and you shall vnderstand that in what place soeuer you kyll the Harte, you ought to flea his necke, and to rewarde your houndes ther∣with vpon the grasse all hote as it is, for so it shalbe muche bet∣ter and more delicate and profitable for your houndes, than when it is colde: you may also rewarde them in another man∣ner. Take a Harte in nettes or stalles, and cleaue or split one of his forefeete from the twiste of the cleas, vnto the ioynte of the foote, or els cut off one of his feete or cleas altogither, afterwards vntangle him out of the net or stall and let him go, a quarter of an houre after, you may bryng all your yong hounds and as∣semble them togither, then take your Bloudhoundes and with them finde out the view or Slotte of the Harte or Bucke, and followe them wi•…•…h your yong Houndes, and when you haue followed them a Crossebowe shoote, you maye then hallowe and blowe for your yong 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that done you

may vncouple your yong houndes from the old, that the olde houndes may first leade them: and you muste haue good prickers and huntesmen on horsebacke in the tayle of them to make them holde in and close. Yet another way to bryng your houndes to quarrie and to rewarde them, you must haue foure or sixe hunts∣men that be good and swifte of foote, for els they may rather hinder than furder the houndes, and to euery one of these you may giue two couple of houndes to leade in liames, and when the houndes haue vnlodged the Harte, they may go fayre and softely, and not weary theyr yong houndes before the crie: then when they shall perceyue that the Harte hath runne twoo good houres, and that he beginneth to sinke before the houndes, they may caste of theyr yong houndes, but they ought to haue good regard that they caste them not of when he is at Baye: especial∣ly when his head is full sommed, for in that furie he woulde en∣danger them or kill them. Mine opinion is that the best entryng of houndes is at the Hare, for that is their very best beginning, for asmuch as thereby they shall learne all doubles, and turnes, as lykewise to knowe and to come to the hallowe, and also they become very tendre nosed and perfecte of sent by accustoming the beaten wayes and champaygne Countries, and afterwards when a man woulde enter or teache them to the Harte, they will quickely forget and abandone the Hare. Here muste be no∣ted that all houndes ought to be well acquaynted with their prickers or Huntesmen on Horsebacke which shall follow them, and therefore it is requisite that when the Huntesmen shall giue them rewarde, and that they make the Ouar∣rie, the prickers and Huntesmen on horsebacke be there present to make much of them, & to speake to them, to the end that they may the better vnderstand and know them.