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 properties of an Hare, and howe to knowe the male, from the female. Chap. 58.

I Wil begin with the vertues & properties of an Hare, the which be verie great & many, hauing consideration to the greatnesse and littlenesse of hir. First the bloud of an Hare, is a sore dryer, and if you do annoynt therewith any ytching place, or a ring∣wor•…•…e, it will drie it vp and heale it. The Hare hath a litle bone in a ioynt of hir hinder legge called the styfling bone, whiche is verie good for the Collike and the Crampe. Hir skynne burnt to pouder, is a soueraine medicine to stenche bloud. The Hare first taught vs the vse of the hearbe called wilde Succorye, which is verie excellent for those whiche are disposed to be melancholike: she hir selfe is one of the moste melancholike beastes that is: and to heale hir own infirmities, she goeth commonly to sit vn∣der that hearbe: wherevpon it hath bene called in times past Pa∣latius leporis, that is to say, Hares pallayse. The Hare doth natu∣rally know the change of weather from. xxiiij. houres, to. xxiiij. houres. When she goeth to hir forme, she will not let the dewe or wet touch hir as near•…•… as shee can, but followeth the hyghe wayes and beaten pathes, and breaketh the highe stalkes as she goeth with hir teeth. And bycause some Hares by haunting the lowe watrie places, do become foule and messed, such Hares doe neuer follow y^e hard ways, nor make such pathes to their formes, but vse all their subtleties & pollecies by the sides of the Ry•…•…ers, brookes, and other waters. And you shall vnderstand, that the fe∣males are not so commonly foule or r•…•…esled, as the males ar•…•…, & therfore a huntesman may iudge by the reliefe and feede of the Hare what she is, and which way she formeth. They goe to Bucke commonly in Januarie, Februarie, and Marche. Some∣times they seke the Bucke seuen or eight myles distant from the place where •…•…hey vse to syt; following the beaten high wayes, as

be hereafter declared. A Bucke Hare wil abyde the hounds nea∣rer him when he sitteth, than the female will, bicause be feeleth him selfe quicker, and his body better disposed and ha•…•…ier. If when a Hare ryseth out of the forme, she set vp hir eares, and run not verie fast at the firste, and cast vp hir Skut 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hir bac•…•…e, it is a token that it is an olde and craftie Hare. Although some say that there is no iudgem•…•…nt of difference betweene the male and the female Hares, yet haue I founde the contrarie. For the male Hare or bucke maketh his crole•…•…s always smaller & dryer, and more sharpned towards the end. The female maketh them greater and rounder, and not so dry. And the cause is, that the fe∣male relieueth not so farre out a nights, and is gr•…•…ater of bodye, which causeth hir to make the greater Croteys also. You shall knowe a bucke as you hunt him to the form•…•…: for you shal find y^t he hath more beaten the hard high wayes, and feedeth further out into the playnes, and maketh his doublings and crossings much wyder, and of greater compasse than the female doth. For she will keepe close by some couerts side, turning and winding in the bushes like a Coney. And if she goe to reliefe in the corne fields, she wil not lightly crosse ouer the furrowes, but foloweth them al along, and stayeth much vpon the thickest tufts of corne to feede: Neither is she satisfied b•…•… feeding hir bellye full, but shreds the corne, and scattreth it as she goeth. Likewise you may knowe a Bucke at rising out of the forme, for he hath his •…•…inder parts much more whitely, as if he were grey or downy: Or you shall knowe him if you marke his shoulders well before he ryse, for they are redder than a female Hares be, and will haue some lose long haires growing on them. Againe, you may know him by his heade, the which is shorter and better trussed than the fe∣males is. The hairs about his lips and cheeks, are longér, & com∣monly his eares shorter, greater, and more whitely. The female •…•…ath a long and leane head, hir eares long, the haire vpon y^e chine of hir backe, blackish greye. And commonly when hounds bunt a female Hare, she will vse more crossing, doubling, & turning before thē, passing seuen or eight times one way, & neuer maketh out endwayes before the hounds. The male doth contrary: for if

she houndes runne him, and that he haue once made a turne or two aboute his forme, then farewell houndes: for he will leade them sometimes three or foure myles endwayes before he turne the head, and that lightly into some coast where he hath bene in times past, and from whence he hath bene chased and hūted. For an Hare wil goe seuen or eight myles end wayes at once: & you may know when a Hare is so come from farre by this meanes.

Whē you see y^t your hoūds sind where an Hare hath past at re∣lief, vpon y^• highwayes sides, & hath much doubled & crossed vpō drie places, and neuer much brokē out nor relieued in the corne, it is a token that she is but lately come into those quarters: and then commonly she wil stay vpō some high place, to looke about hir, & to choose out a place to forme in, & also y^t better to saue hir∣self, if she per•…•…iue either hoūds or any thing els that followes or meetes hir. Or you may also know, bycause commonly Hares which stray so, doe make their forme close, bycause they are in dout and dread. And when the hounds finde them and put them vp, they breake and double, turning backe towardes their forme: bicause it grieueth them to part from it, knowing not the coun∣trey. But when they perceiue that the hounds holde in to them, then they returne by the same wayes that they came. By these tokens you may knowe an Hare that is a passenger, which may chance to leade your houndes a lustie daunce after hir.