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 hunting of a Foxe aboue the ground out of the same Author. Chap. 70. (Book 70)

HE that would hunt a Fore aboue the ground, shall do well to beate with his hownds in the thickest queaches, & tufts or groues neare vnto 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and in thicke hedgerowes and such other places. For commonly a Foxe will lurke in such, to pray or espie his aduantage vpon dame Pertelot, & such other damsels that kepe in those Courts, and to see yong pigges well ringl•…•…d whē they are yong, for feare least they should learne to turne vp Gentlemēs pastures, & to marre their meadowes w^t rowting, for surely M. Raynerd is a very well disposed man, and would be loth to see youth fal into such follie in any cōmon wealth where he may strike a stroke. Also in y^e countries where wine is made, he will lie much in the Uineyards, & (as some hold opinion) will eate of y^e Grapes. Ones he lieth always in couert & obscure pla∣ces, like an honest plainmening creature, which careth not gretly for to come at y^e Court. Wel, the Huntsman which would haue

good pastime at this vermine, shall do well to stop vp his earthes if he can finde them: and let him stoppe them vp the night be∣fore he meaneth to hunte. About midnight when he may be sure that the Foxe is gone abroade to seeke his praye, let the earthes then be stopped with boughes and earth well and strongly ram∣med, that master Raynard get not in again ouer hastely. Some vse to set vp bleinchers, or sewels (which are white papers) or to lay two white stickes a crosse before the hole, and holde opini∣on, that when a Foxe espyeth those stickes or sewels, he will mi∣strust that it is some engin to take him, and will turne backe a∣gaine: but I thinke not that so sure as to stoppe the earthes. If the huntsman know not where the earthes be, let him seeke them out two or three days before he meaneth to hunt, & stop thē. But bicause somtimes a huntsmā can not find al the blinde earthes y^t are in couerts and greate woods: then if a Foxe finde out some of them, and so beguile the huntesman, he maye yet get him out eyther quicke or deade, without Terryers, in this manner. If there be any more holes than one in the earth, let him set purse∣nets or bagges in one of the holes vnder the winde, euen as he would set for a Badgerd, & let him stop vp all the holes besides, but one, and let that one be aboue the wynde as neare as he can. Then let him take a piece of parchment or leather, and laye it in the hole, laying fyre vpon it, and putting brymstone, Myrre, and such smothering greace vpon the fire: there withall let him stoppe vp the hole, & suffer the smother to go into the earth. This done, the Foxe will not long abide in the earth, but will either starte into the pursnet or bagge, or else will sound dead the next day at some other of the holes mouthes which were stopped. The best hunting of the Foxe aboue the ground is in Ianuarie, Februa∣rie, and March. Yet you may hunt him from Alhollantide, vntil Easter. When y^e leaues are falne, you shall best see your houndes hūting, & best finde his earths. And also at y^t time the Foxes skyn (which is the best part of him) is best in season. Againe, the houn∣des do best hunt a Foxe in the coldest weather, bicause he leaueth a verie strong sent after him. Alwayes set your Greyhounds on the outsides of the couertes vnderneath the winde, and let them

stand close, cast of at the first but the thirde part of your kennell to finde him: The rest you shall cause to be led vp and downe the couerts, in pathes and high wayes, to cast off vnto their fel∣lowes whē he is found. It is not good to cast off too many hoūds at once, bicause woods and couerts are full of sundry chases, and so you should haue your kennell vndertake sundry beastes, and lose your pastime. Let those which you cast off firste, be olde, stanch, and sure houndes. And if you heare such a hounde call on merily, you may cast off some other to him, and when they run it with ful cry, cast off the rest, and you shall heare good pastime. For a Foxe will not willingly depart out of the couerte, where he hath bin accustomed to ly, but wil wheele about in the thicks, and thereby make you much the better pastime. The wordes of comforting y^e hounds, the hallowing, & all such like ceremonies, are euen the same which you vse in hunting of other chases and vermine. When he is dead, you shall hang him vp on the end of a strong pyked staffe, and hallow in al your hounds to bay him, then make them reward with such things as you can get, for the flesh of a Fox is not to reward thē w^tall, for they wil not eate it.