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 Nature and Subtilties of Hartes. Chap. 16. (Book 16)

[illustration]

ISodore sayeth that the Harte is right contrarie to the Serpent, and that when he is olde, decrepyte, and sicke, that hee goeth to the dennes and caues of Serpentes, and with his no∣strels he puffeth and forceth his breath into their holes, in suche fort, that by vertue and force therof he constreyneth the Serpents to come forth, and being come forth, he kylleth them with his foote, and afterwards eateth and deuoureth them. Afterwarde he goeth to drinke, and so the venyme spreadeth through all the veynes of his body, and when he feeleth the venyme worke, he runneth to chafe and heate him selfe, immediately he beginneth to voyde and purge himselfe, in such sort that nothing remayneth in his belly, comming forth by all the conduites and pores that nature hath made in him. And by this mean he renueth his force, and healeth him selfe, casting his haire.

When the Hartes passe the great ryuers or some arme of the Sea, to go to Rut in some Ile or Forest, they assemble them selues in great heardes, and knowing which of them is stron∣gest and best swimmer, they make him go formost: and then he which commeth next him, stayeth vp his head vpon the backe of the first, and the thirde vpon the backe of the seconde, and conse∣quently al the rest do in like maner, euen vnto the last, to the end that the one may relieue the other, and when the first is wearie, another taketh his place.

Plynie sayeth, that they can endure to swymme thirtie myles endwayes, and that he hath seene experience thereof in the Ile of Cypres, from whence they go commonly vnto the Ile of Cy∣lice, the which is thirtie myles distant. Yea and he sayeth, that they haue the vent and sent of the Rut from the one Ile to the other. To speake a truth, I haue seene some hunted in Forestes adioyning to the Sea, which haue bene so sore hunted, that they launched into the Sea, and haue bene kylled by fyshermen tenne myles from the shore.

The Hart doth maruell and is astonyed when he heareth one call or whistle in his fist. And for proofe, when you see an Hart 〈◊〉〈◊〉 before you in the day time, and that he be in the playne, call after hint saying, ware ware, or, take heede, and you shall

see him turne backe for doubt of the voyce which he heard. He louet•…•… to heare Instrumentes, and assureth him selfe when hee heareth a Flute or any other sweete noyse. He heareth verie per∣fectly when his heade and his eares are set vpright, but when he holdeth them downe, he heareth not so well. When he is on foote and is not afrayde, he maruelleth at all things which he seeth, and taketh pleasure to gaze at them, as a Carter and his Carte, or any beast loden with any thing. Plynie sayth, that an Hartes age is knowne by his teeth, by his feete, and by his heade, as I will declare hereafter in the treatise of Iudgement of the Hart. Fur∣thermore he sayth, that the Antlier and croches of a Harte doe multiply from the fyrst heade that he beareth, vntill he be seauen yeares olde, and that afterwardes they multiply not but only in greatnesse, and that also according to the rest and good feeding, or the styrring that they shall haue. They beare sometimes more and sometimes fewer croches, and that is the reason that menne haue iudged a Hart of tenne, as somtimes haue bene seene. Fur∣thermore he sayth that the first heade which an Hart beareth, is dedicated and giuen to Nature, and that the foure Elements do euerie of them take therein a portion. Isodore is of an other opi∣nion saying, that the Hart doth burie and hyde his first heade in the earth, in suche sort that a man shall hardly finde it. And to speake a truth, I could neuer finde any that were mewed or cast by their owne accorde, neuerthelesse I haue seene one that sayde he had seene them, but therein I report me to that which may be thought. The Hart hath a propertie, that if he goe to feede in a yong spring or Coppes, he goeth first to seeke the winde, that he may finde if there be any person in the Coppes which may inter∣rupt him. And if any man take a little bough, branch, or leafe, and pysse or spitte vpon it, if he leaue it in the spring or Coppes where the Harte should feede, he will not fayle to finde it out, and then he will feede no more in that place. Plynie sayth, that when the Hart is forced with houndes, his last refuge is to come about houses vnto a man, vnto whome he had rather yeelde him selfe than vnto the hounds, hauing knowledge & vnderstanding what things be moste contrarie and hatefull vnto him, the

which I haue seene by experience, that an Hynd being readie to calue, hath rather auoyded and eschued the way and place where dogs did resort, thā whereas mē were accustomed to be, as also when she would conceyue, she attendeth vntill the Starre called Arcture be raysed, and caryeth hir calfe eight or nine monethes, the which are calued in May commonly, although I haue seene some fall later, according to the nouriture and age of the Hind. There are some Hyndes which haue two Calues at once, and before she calueth, she purgeth hir with the hearbe called Tra∣gonce, and after that she hath calued, she eateth vp the skynne wherein the Calfe did lye. Plynie sayth moreouer, that if a man take the Hynde immediately after she haue calued, he shoulde finde a stone in hir body the which she hath eaten or swallowed to make hir calue with more ease, the which stone shoulde be ve∣rie requisite and profitable for women that are with chylde. When the Hyndes calfe is great, she teacheth it to runne, and to leape, and the coast that it must keepe to defende it selfe from the houndes. The Hartes and Hyndes may liue an hundreth yeres, according to Phoebus saying. And wee finde in auncient hysto∣riographers, that an Harte was taken, a hauing coller about his necke full three hundreth yeares after the death of Cesar, in which coller Caesars armes were engraued, and a mot written, saying, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 me fecit. Wherevpon the Latin Prouerb came, which saith, Ceruin•…•…s annos viuere.