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.

Howe the huntesman should go drawing with his hound in the Springs. Chap. 29. (Book 29)

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IMmediatly after Supper the Huntsman should go to his ma∣sters chamber, and if he serue a king, then let him go to the mai∣ster of the games chamber, to knowe his pleasure in what quar∣ter he determineth to hunt the day following, that he may know his owne quarter: that done, he may go to bedde, to the ende he may rise the earlyer in the morning, according to the tyme and season, and according to the place where he must hunt: then when he is vp and readie, let him drinke a good draughte, and fetche his hound to make him breake his fast a little: And let him not for∣get to fill his bottel with good wine, that done, let him take a lit∣tle vineyger in the palme of his hand, and put it in the nost•…•…lls of his hounde, for to make him snuffe, to the ende his sent may be the perfecter, then let him go to the wood. And if he chaunce by the way to finde any hare, partriche, or any other beast or bird that is fearefull, liuing vpon seedes or pasturage, it is an euill sygne or presage that he shall haueb ut euill pastime that day. But if he fynde any beaste of rauine, liuing vpon praye, as Wolfe, Foxe, Rauen, and suche lyke, that is a token of good lucke. He muste take good heede that he come not too earely into the springs and hewtes where he thinketh that the Harte doth feede and is at re∣liefe. For Harts do go to their layre commonly in the Springs, yea, and though they were drawne into some strong holde or thicket, yet if they be olde craftie Dearc, they will returne some∣times to the bordure of the Coppes, to hearken or spye if there be any thing to annoy them. And if they chaunce once to vent the huntesman or his hounde, they will straight way dislodge from thence and goe some other where, especially in the heate of the yeare. But when the huntesman perceyueth that it is time to be∣ginne to beate, let him put his hounde before him, and beate the out sides of the Springs or thickets: and if he finde of an Harte or Deare that like him, let him marke well whether it be freshe or not, and he may knowe as well by the maner of his houndes drawyng, as also by the eye. For if he marke the pathes and trackes where the Harte hathe gone, hee shall see oftentimes the deawe beaten of, or the foyle freshe, or else the grounde

somewhat broken or printed a freshe, and suche other tokens, as he may iudge that the Harte hath gone that way lately, and lette hym neuer marke the sayings of a meany of dreamers, whyche say, that when a man fyndeth copwebbes within the printe of the Slotte, it is a signe that the Harte is gone long before. Suche people shall soone be deceyued: for many tymes the cob∣webbes fall from the saye, and are not suche as Spyders make, but a kind of kell, which as I haue seene of experience of an Hart passing by me within one hundreth paces, and I haue gone to see the slotte streight wayes, and before I coulde come at it the cop∣webbes or kelles were fallen vppon it. So is there also another kynde of men whiche marke when the slotte is full of cleere wa∣ter in soft groundes, where an Harte hath passed, and saye that he is gone long before: but they neuer mark whether the ground be subiect vnto moysture or not, and yet they may well knowe, that being subiect vnto moysture, then the little sources whyche passe by chanels vnseene in the earth will soone fyll the Slotte with cleare water: whiche may cause a Huntesman to be decei∣ued, and therfore let him looke well to it: and also let hym not altogither trust vnto his hounde. For some houndes will also beguyle their maister, and especially those hounds that are quic∣kest of sente: whiche are not best for the mornings, bicause of the ryndes and dewes, and then they draw but slowly, making smal accompt on theyr quest, as though the game were gone farre be∣fore them: but when the Sunne is well vp, and that the deaw is cleared, and the sent of the earth is perfect, then haue they good sent, and doe their dutie well. Then to returne to our purpose, if the Huntesman fynde of an Harte which liketh him, that hath passed that way lately, and if his hound sticke well vpon it, then let him holde his hound short, for feare least he lapyst: and again, in a morning, a hounde shall drawe better beeing helde shorte, than if he were lette at length of the Lyam: And yet some Hun∣ters will giue them all the Lyam, but they doe not wel. When he hath well considered what maner of Hart it may be, aud hath marked euery thing to iudge by, then let him draw tyll he come to the couert where he is gone to: and lette him harboure him

if he can, still marking all his tokens as well by the Slot, as by the entries, foyelles, and such like. That done let him plashe or bruse downe small twigges, some alofte, and some bylowe as the arte requireth, and therewithall whilest his hounde is hote, let him beate the outsides, and make his ryngwalkes twyce or thrice about the woode, one whyle by the great and open wayes, that he may helpe him self by his eye: another whyle through the thicke and couert, for feare least his hounde should ouershoote it, for he shall haue better sent alwayes in the couert, than abroad in the high wayes. And if he finde that the Hart be not gone out of the ryngwalke, or do doubt that he haue drawne amysse, then let him goe to his markes which he plashed or shred, and drawe counter till he maye take vp the fewmet, as well made in the euenings reliefe as in the morning: and let him marke the place where he hath fed, and whereon also to marke his subtleties and craftes, for thereby the huntesmen shall knowe what he will doe when he is before the houndes. For if in the morning he haue made any doublings towardes the water, or else in his waye, then when he beginneth to be spent before the houndes, all the faultes, doublings, or subtleties that he will vse, shall be in the same places, and like vnto those which he hath vsed in the mor∣ning, and thereby the huntesman may take aduauntage both for his houndes, and for the huntesmen on horsebacke.

And if it chaunce that the huntesmen finde two or three pla∣ces where the Deare hath entred, and as many where he hath comen out, then must he marke well which entrie seemeth to be freshest, and whether the places where he came forth agayne, were not beaten the same night. For an Harte doth oftentimes goe in and out of his harbrough in the night, especially if it be a craftie olde Deare, he will vse great subtleties, beating one place diuers times to and fro. Then if the huntesman can not finde all his goyngs out, & commings in, nor can well tell which of them he were best to trust vnto, he muste then take his compasse and ryngwalke the greater about the couert, so as he may therein en∣close all his subtleties, entries, and commings out. And when he seeth that all is compassed within his ryngwalke, excepting

onely one comming in, whereby he might be come from the springs or feedes, then must he let his houndes draw hardly, and if it be possible, let him drawe euen to the Hartes layre or har∣bour, for he maye well thinke that those pathes or trackes will bring him to it. And in this manner huntesmen should harbour their Deare, but not as many huntesmen do now adayes. For if they can not quickly come to the harbour of an Harte, they then will foyle the gappes, so to make him harbour, which is often∣times a cause that they finde nothing in their circuites or walks. And some againe do trust altogether in their hound. And when they finde the Slotte of an Hart, they will onely plashe or brust some bought at entrie of the thicket, and then go vnder the wind, and if their houndes do winde any thing, then they neuer cast a∣bout, but trust so vnto their houndes winding of it. Such men trust more in their hounde, than to their owne eyes. And me thinkes a good huntesman should neuer greatly esteeme a hounde which hangeth altogether vpon windnig aloft: for he neuer putteth his nose to the grounde, and therefore doth of∣tentimes begile his maister.