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.

Hovv a huntesman shall go to find out an Harte againe, vvhen he hath bene hunted and lost the night before. Chap. 33. (Book 33)

[illustration]

IT happeneth very often that men fayle of killyng the Harte at force diuers kindes of wayes: sometimes by occasion of y^e great heate, or that they be ouertaken with night, and many other kindes of wayes which should be tedious to rehearse: when such chance happeneth, you shall thus do. First they which follow the houndes shall caste a marke at the last pathe or way where they shall fortune to leaue the chase: that they may thither returne to seeke him on the morrow by the breake of the day with the blond∣hounde and the houndes of the kenell behind them: for when there is occasion to seeke an Harte agayne, you muste not tarie for re∣porte nor assemblie: bycause it is vncertayne if the chace will long continue, nor into what coast he should be gone: and there∣withall that Hartes which haue bene hunted, do most commonly runne end wayes as farre as they haue force: and then if they finde any water or soyle, they do stay long time therein: and do so stiffen theyr ioyntes there with that at theyr commyng out, they cannot go farre nor stande vp long, and then also they are con∣strayned to take harbour in any place that they may finde, so as they may be in couert, and feede as they lie, of such things as they may finde about them. When the Huntesmen shal be come vnto the place where they lefte markes ouer night, they shoulde parte in sunder: and he whiche hath the best hounde and moste tender nosed, should vndertake to drawe with him endwayes in the trackes and wayes where he seeth moste lykelyhoode, holding his hounde shorte, and yet neuer fearyng to make him lappise or call on: the other Huntesmen ought to take them to the outsides of the couertes alongst by the moste commodious places for them to marke, and for theyr houndes to vent in: and if any of them chance to finde where he hath lept or gone, he shall put his hounde to it whoupyng twyce, or blowyng two motts with his horne, to call in his fellowes and to cause the reste of the kenell to ap∣proche. The rest hauyng heard him, shall streight wayes go to him, and looke altogither whether it be the Hart which they seeke: and if it be, then shall they put therevnto the hounde whiche beste desireth to drawe or to sticke there, and the reste shall parte euery man a sundrie waye to the outsides and skirtes of the couert:

and if they finde where he hath gone in to some likely couert or groue, then shall they drawe theyr houndes neare vnto them, and beate crosse through it: And if there they renew their Slotte or view, let them first well consider it whether it be the right or not: but if he whiche draweth do perceyue that it is right, let him blow twoo motes to call his companions, and to aduertise the horse∣men that they take heede, bycause his hounde dothe make it out better and better: and if he chaunce to rowze him, or that he find fiue or sixe layres togither one after another, let him not thinke it strange: for Hartes whiche haue bene runne and spent, do often∣times make many layres togither: bycause they cannot well stand on foote to feede, but feede lying: and many yong Hunters whiche vnderstand not the cause are oftentimes beguyled: for when they finde so many layres, they thinke it should be some hearde of deare, that haue lyen there: and therefore they ought to looke well aboute them.