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 to set Relayes. Chap. 38. (Book 38)

RElayes must be set according to the seasons and growth of springs. For in winter when the Hartes heade is harde, they

keepe the strong couerts and thickets. And in spring time when their heades are tender, they keepe in yong frythes and coppises, and in the weakest couerts that they can finde, for feare least they should knocke and hurt their heades against the boughes. And therefore it is requisite to set men abroad which are brought vp in hunting, and vnderstande well their aduauntages, and with them a good pricker or huntsman on horsebacke, mounted vpon a good curtall, which should be lightly clad, hauing good bootes and high, with an horne about his necke. Phoebus sayth, that they ought to be clad in greene when they hunt the Hart or Bucke, and in russet when they hunt the Bore, but that is of no great importance, for I remitte the coloures to the fantasies of men. These horsemen should go ouer night to their masters chamber, or if they serue a Prince, to the masters of the games or his Lie∣uetenantes, to knowe which of them shall followe the kennell, and which shall be for the Relayes, and in which Relayes and where they shall bestowe them selues, and what houndes they shall leade with them, what helpes and varlets shall goe with them. And those of the relayes shall do well to haue euerie man a little byllet to remember the names of their Relayes: and then let them go to their lodging, and get them a guide which may conduct them in the morning. Afterwardes they must looke that their horsses be well •…•…hod and in good plight, giuing them otes sufficient: That done, they shall go to bed, that they may rise in the morning two houres before day. If it be in Sommer, they must water their horsses, but not in Winter, and then they shall bayte them well vntill the varlets shall bring the houndes for their relayes. Their guide being come, they shall breake their fasts altogether. And in steede of Pystolets, they shall haue each of them a bottle full of good wyne at the pomell of their saddles. And when daye shall beginne to peepe, then must they gette on horsebacke, hauing with them their guide, their relayes, and all their equipage. If they would sende a curtall to another of the relayes, then shall they say to one of their varlets, that he goe with one of their companions to such a Relay. When they are come to the place appoynted for their Relaye, they shall place

their houndes in some faire place at the foote of some tree, forbid∣ding the varlet that he vncouple them not without their know∣ledge and commaundement, and that he stir not from thence nor make any noyse. Then shal they go three or foure hūdreth paces from thence, on that side that the hunting is ordeined, and shall hearkē if they heare any thing, or can discouer the Hart, for seing him a farre of, they shal better iudge whether he be spent or not, then if they marke him when he is hallowed or cryed at. For an Hart when he is spent, doth beare his head low if he see no man, shewing thereby howe wearie he is. But when he seeth a man, he rayseth vp his heade, and maketh great boundes, as though he would haue men thinke that he is strong and stout. As also the horseman shal•…•… withdraw him selfe aside for another reason. And that is, bicause the pages and they which holde the horses do cō∣monly make such a noyse, that he can not heare the crye. And also when the Hart doth heare noyse, or hath the dogs in the winde, they will either tume backe againe, or wheele aside from the re∣laye: for which cause the horsman shal hold himself aside to chose & marke the Hart at leysure. And if he passe by his relaye, he shall marke dilligently whether he sinke or be spent, and also whether he heare the hounds in chace comming after him or not. And me thinkes that in hunting an Hart at force, it were not best to cast off your relayes, vntill you see the houndes of the kennell which beganne the crye. So should you see who hunteth best, and also the swiftnesse of your houndes. But nowe adayes I see fewe hunt the Harte as he ought to be hunted: for men giue not their hounds leysure to hunt, neither is there passing two or three that can hunt: for there are so many hunters on horsebacke which can neither blow, hallow, nor prick perfectly, which mingle thēselues amongst the hounds, crossing them, and breaking their course, in such sort, that it is not possible they should hunt truly: & therefore I say, that it is the horses which hunt, and not the hounds. I wil now therfore teach the Uarlet how to forslow the Relaye when the Hart is past by. First he must lead his hounds coupled or ty∣ed vnto the tracke, & let them folow so three or foure paces right, then let him cast of one, and if he take it right, then maye he vn∣couple

the rest, and blowe to them. For if he should cast off his Relay a farre off, the hounds might hunt counter, which would be a great fault. And also if the Ha•…•…t be accompanyed with any other Deare, then the pricker on horsebacke must ryde full in the face of him, to trie if he can part them or not, and if he can parte them, then may he vncouple the houndes vpon the viewe. And if a pricker on horsebacke chaunce to be at relaye on the side of a poole or water, and see the Harte make towardes it, he shoulde suffer him to goe to soyle therein his fill, and neuer blowe nor make noyse: then when he commeth out, he may let the Uarlet go•…•… with the houndes vnto the place where he came out, and vn∣couple the houndes vpon the viewe as before saide. And he must neuer abandon them, blowing after them to call in ayde, and brusyng the grounde or making markes al the waye as hee goeth, bicause if the houndes shoulde hunte channge, or scatter and stray from the right wayes, then may they returne to the laft marke, and so seeke againe the first chace.

Ph•…•…bus sayeth, that you must rate the houndes which come farre behynde when the Harte is past the Relaye. But for my parte, I am of a contrarie mynde. For as muche as the houndes of the Crye which haue alredie hunted long time, do better kepe their true tracke and do not so soo•…•…e cha•…•…nge, as the fresh hounds which are newly cast off at the Relayes. True it is, that if there be any olde houndes which come behynde plodding after the Crye, then the prickers on horsebacke, or the Uarlets which tarie behinde, maye call them after them, and leade them before the crye againe. Or else if you haue neede of more Relayes, and that you perceiue the Hart bendeth towardes a coast where there is not muche chaunge, and that he should be forced to turn backe againe the same way: and also that there be good houndes ynow before to mainteine the chase, then may you take vp the hinder∣most houndes and keepe them fresh for his returne: and if perad∣uenture it happen that the pricker on horsebacke being at his re∣laye, should see an Hart of tenne passe by him, and yet heare not the other huntsmen, nor their hornes, then let him looke wel whe∣ther the Hart be embost or not, and what houndes they were that

came with him. And if he perceiue that they were choyse hounds and suche as will not hunt chaunge, then ought he to blowe as loude as he can for other hounds, and to call in helpe. And if one come in, then let him followe the houndes which mainteined the chace, and vncouple his houndes of relay, blowing and hallow∣ing all the way as he goeth, and blemishing against or ouer the Slot or viewe of the Deare.

A huntesman on horsebacke shoulde be circumspecte in these things, for sometimes some freshe Deare may rowze before the houndes vpon a sodeine, by reason of the noyse of the houndes and huntsmen, the which may be a great hurt: and peraduenture shall seeme to be embost also, especially when Deare are in pride of greace: But if he perceiue that the sure houndes of the kennell hunt it not, and that he heare not them come after in ful cry, then ought he not to cast of his relayes, but only to marke which way he fleeth, & to blemish at the last thicket where he sawe him enter, or at the last place where he had him in viewe, to the ende that if he heare the houndes at default, he may go and tell them that the Hart which passed by his relay, was fallowe, browne, or accor∣ding as he sawe him, and that he bare such and such a heade. &c. And thereby they may iudge and gesse, whether it were the cafft Deare or not, and may goe to seeke him againe, beginning then at the blemishes which he made vpon his last viewe.