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.

An aduertisement by the Translato•…•… of the Englishe manner, in breakin•…•… vp of the Deare.

IN describing this order howe to breake vp a Deare obserued the duetie of a faythfull translatour, nothi•…•… chaunging the wordes of myne Authoure, but suffering 〈◊〉〈◊〉 proceede in the Frenche maner. But bycause I finde it differe•…•… from our order in some poyntes, therefore I haue thought good here to set downe such obseruations of difference as I haue no∣ted therein, least the reader mighte be drawne in opinion, that the errour proceeded only in my default.

First where he appoynteth the Deares foote to be cutte off, and to bee presented to the Prince or chiefe, oure order is,

[illustration]

that the Prince or chiete (it •…•…o plea•…•…e them) doe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and take assaye of the Deare with a sharpe knyfe, the whiche is done

in this maner. The deare being layd vpon his backe, the Prince, chiefe, or such as they shall appoint, cōmes to it: And the chiefe huntsman (kneeling, if it be to a Prince) doth holde the Deare by the forefoote, whiles the Prince or chief, cut a slyt drawn alongst the brysket of the deare, somewhat lower than the brysket to∣wards the belly. This is done to see the goodnesse of the flesh, and howe thicke it is.

This being done, we vse to cut off the Deares heade. And that is commonly done also by the chiefe personage. For they take delight to cut off his heade with their woodknyues, skaynes, or swordes, to trye their edge, and the goodnesse or strength of their arme. If it be cut off to rewarde the houndes withall, then the whole necke (or very neare) is cut off with it: otherwise it is cut off neare to the head. And then the heade is cabaged (which is to say) it is cut close by the hornes through the braine pan, vntill you come vnderneath the eyes, and ther it is cut off. The piece which is cut from the hornes (together with the braines) are to rewarde the houndes. That other piece is to nayle vp the hornes by, for a memoriall, if he were a great Deare of heade.

As for the deintie morsels which mine Author speaketh off for Princes, our vse (as farre as euer I could see) is to take the caul•…•…, the tong, the eares, the doulcets, the tenderlings (if his heade be tender) and the sweete gut, which some call the Inchpinne, in a faire handkercher altogether, for the Prince or chiefe.

It must be remembred (which he leaueth out) that the feete be all foure left on. The hynder feete must be to fasten (or hardle as some hunters call it) the hanches to the sydes, and the two fore∣feete are left to hang vp the shoulders by.

We vse some ceremonie in taking out the shoulder. For first he which taketh it out, cuts the thinne skin of the flesh (when the Deares skinne is taken off) round about the legge, a little aboue the elbowe ioynt. And there he rayseth out the synew or muskle with his knife, and putteth his forefinger of his left hand, through vnder the sayd muskle to hold the legge by. If afterwardes he touch the shoulder or any part of the legge, with any other thing than his knyfe, vntill he haue taken it out, it is a forfayture, and

he is thought to be no handsome woodman. Then with his shoulder knyfe he cuts an hole •…•…etweene the legge and the brys∣ket, and there puts in his knife, and looseneth the shoulder from the syde, going about with his knyfe, near•…•… to the outside of the skynne, vntill he haue quyte taken out the shoulder, and yet lefte the skynne of the syde fayre and whole. And if he doe it not at three boutes, it is also a forfeyture.

We vse not to take away the brysket bone, as farre as euer I coulde see, but clyue the sydes one from another, directly from the place of assay, vnto the throate. There is a litle gristle which is vpon the spoone of the brysket, which we cal the Rauens bone, bycause it is cast vp to the Crowes or Rauens whiche attende hunters. And I haue seene in some places, a Rauen so wont and accustomed to it, that she would neuer sayle to croake and crye for it, all the while you were in breaking vp of the Deare, and would not depart vntill she had it. Furthermore, we vse not to take the heart from the noombles, but account it a principall part thereof. And about the winding vp of the noombles, there is also some arte to be shewed: But by all likelyhoode, they vse it not in Fraunce as we do.

Also I can not perceiue by myne Authors wordes that they make any Arboure, which if they doe not, they may chaunce to breake vp their Deare but homely somtimes. But if they cut a∣way the brisket bone, thē it is the lesse requisite, bicause they may come at the weasond, and conuey it away easily. We vse to re∣warde our houndes with the paunche, being emptied first. These things of my selfe I haue thought good to adde, desiring the reader to take them in good parte.