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 vvords and termes of hunting, vvhich the huntsman ought to vnderstand when he shall make his reportes, and when he shal speake before good masters of Venerie. Chap. 37. (Book 37)

I Haue thought good heere to declare the termes and words of Uenerie, and how a yong hunts∣man shoulde speake before the maisters of the game. First it is conuenient that an huntesman be wel stayed and temperate in his speech: for al hunters whiche haue regarde to the pleasure of their Uenerie, ought to be sober and modest in talke. But at these dayes they take more delight in emptying of the bottles, than they haue regarde to their tongs. But if a yong huntsman chaunce to light in company with elder maisters, and that they aske him howe he calleth the ordure of an Harte, Rayndeare, Gote, or fallow Deare, he shall answere that they are to be cal∣led the fewmet or fewmyshings, and that all beastes which liue of browse, shal haue the same terme in that respect. But in beasts of rauyne or pray, as the Bore, the Beare, and such like, they shall be called the Lesses. And of Hares and Coneys, they are called Croteys. Of other vermyne or stinking chases, as Foxes, Bad∣gers

and such like, they are called the feance, of the Otter they are called the Sprayntes. Afterwardes if one aske him howe he will terme the feeding of an Hart or such like, in termes of Ue∣nerie, he shall say that it is called the feede of a Deare. As to say: Lo heere you may see where a Deare hath taken his feede. Of Bores and such like, you shall say the feeding, as to say, lo, heere he hath fed. &c. So is there great difference betwene the feete of praying beasts, and the feet of a Deare. For in beasts of pray and rauine, as Beare, and Bore. &c. they are called traces. But the footing or tracke of a Deare, as Harte, Bucke, Rayndeare, and Goate, they are called the viewe, and the Slot. Also there is difference be∣tweene the Fryth and the Fell. The Felles are vnderstoode the Mountaines, Ualleys, and pastures with corne, and such like. The Frythes betoken the Springs and Coppyses. And if a Deare do feede abroade out of the woodes, you shall say that he fed in the Felles, otherwise in the Frythes. A yong hunter hath also to consider the difference betwene these words. Wayes and Trenches. For by the first is ment the high and beaten ways on the outside of a wood or forest, and such also as lye through such woods being cōmonly beaten and trauelled. And by this word Trench, is vnderstoode euery small way, not so commonly vsed. And therfore if the huntsmen do say, the Hart is gone downe the way, it is to be vnderstoode that he ment the high beaten waye: But when he hath taken some other by path or waye into the wood or Forest, then a huntsmau will say he is gone downe that trench. &c. So is there also difference betweene a Trench and a path. For trenches as I say, be wayes and walkes in a woode or Forest. But pathes are any place where a Deare hath gone and left viewe or Slot either long before or fresh and newe. As tou∣ching blemishes, they are the markes which are left to knowe where a Deare hath gone in or out. And they are little bowes plashed or broken, so that they hang downward. For any thing that is hung vp, is called a Sewel. And those are vsed most com∣monly to amaze a Deare, and to make him refuse to passe wher they are hanged vp. When a huntsman goeth to rowze a deare, as to vnharbor a Hart or so, he shal say to his hound when he ca∣steth him off, There boy there, to him, to him, to him. But if it were

to a Bore or such like, he shal speake in the plural number & say, To them, to them. &c. Whē a Hart hath fed in the Fels, he is co∣monly wet with dew, & wil not go to •…•…is la•…•…re, vntill he be dried in the Sunne or otherwise, and then commonly he lyeth downe vpon his belly in some opē place, & rowzeth him when he ryseth. That place hath with vs no proper name, but only to say: here y^e Hart hath dried & rowzed himself. The places where an Hart or any other Deare lyeth by day, are called layres. But the lying places of Bores and such like, are called dennes, and of a Fox the kennell. Afterwardes, when a huntesman commeth to make his report, he shal say altogether what he hath seene and found. And if he found nothing but view or slot, & be demaunded what ma∣ner of view or slot it was, he shall by rehearsall tell and describe wh•…•…t maner of Slot or view it was, as to say, a short or a long foote, with such and such markes. The like report shall he make of his ports & entries: but if his hap were to haue seene the Harte or Deare, & had leysure to marke him, then if he be demaunded what maner of Deare it was, and what head he beareth, he may answere first: He was of such, or such a coate, as fallow, browne, blacke, or dunne, and consequently of such and such a body, bea∣ring a high or lowe head, according as he hath seene. And if the Deare be false marked, as bearing sire Antliers or croches on the one side, and seuen on the other, then shall the huntsman saye: he beareth fourtene false marked, for the more doth always include the lesse. And if he perceiu that the Deare baere a fayre high head big beamed, the Antliers neare and close to his head, & well spred according to the heigth, then may he say, that he beareth a fayre head, well spred, & well marked in all points, & palmed, crowned, or cro•…•…d according as he sawe it. And likewise he may name how many it was in the top, as an Hart of ten, fourtene, sixtene, or so forth. And if any demaund him if he iudged by the heade whether the Hart were an old Hart or not, and howe he know∣eth, he maye answere, that he iudgeth by the burre which was great and well pearled, set close to the head of the Deare. And also by the Antliers which were great, long, and neare to the burre, and accordingly by the tokens heretofore rehearsed.

The clawes which hang behinde of a Deare or of a Goate, and such like, are called dew clawes. As to say when you finde the slot or view deepe, so as the print of them may be seen, behold here he hath left viewe of his dewclawes. Of a Bore they are called the gardes. If a huntsman find view or Slot whereby he iudgeth not y^t it is a great or an old deare, he may say it is likely to be of an Hart of ten or an Hart of y^e first head. But if he find Slot that seem of a great Deare, he may say, a Hart of ten, with out any addition of words. And if he iudge him to be a very old deare, he may then say an Hart of ten, and so he was long since. And the greatest prayse that he can giue a Deare, shall be to say, A great old Hart or Deare.

And of a Bore, when he forsaketh the Sounder & feedeth a∣lone, he shalbe called a Sanglier going into the third yere. The next yere he shall be called a Sanglier of three yeres olde. The next yere after that, he is called a Sanglier chaseable: the grea∣test prayse that can be giuen him, is to say, A great Bore not to be refused. Of fallow beasts the company is called an heard, and of blacke beasts it is called a rout, or a Sounder.

A Hart belloweth, a Bucke groneth, and a Robucke belleth when they go to Rut. A Hart goeth to the steepe at noone in the heate of the day to keepe him from the flye. An Harte breaketh where he leaueth Slot or view. When he leapeth into the water and commeth out againe the same way, then he proffereth. If he passe through the water, he taketh soyle, and where he commeth out, you shal say that he breaketh water. And after that you may call him an Hart defowlant the water.

An Hart or a Bucke is flayed, a Hare strypped, and a For or such like vermyne are raysed. An Hart and a Bucke likewise reared, rowzed, and vnharbored. An Hart started, and a Fox vn∣kennelled.