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 hunte and take an Otter. Chap. 74. (Book 74)

VVHen a huntesman would hunte the Otter, he should first send foure seruants or varlets with bloudhounds or such 〈◊〉〈◊〉 as will drawe in the lyame, & let him sende them, twoo vp the Riuer, and two downe the riuer, the one couple of thē on th•…•…t one side, & the other on that other side of the water. And so you shal be sure to finde if there be an Otter in y^t quarter: for an Otter cannot long abide in y^t water, but must come forth in the night to make his 〈◊〉〈◊〉, & sometimes to feede on grasse and heathes by the waters side. If any of theyr lyamhounds finde of an Otter, let y^t huntesman looke in the softe groundes and moyst places to see which way he bent the head, vp or downe the riuer: or if he cannot perceyue it by the markes, he may partly perceyue it by y^t sprayntes & then he may follow his hounde, & lodge it e∣uen as you would do a Deare, or a Bore. And if he finde not the Otter quickly, he may then iudge that he is gone to couche somewhere further off from the water: for an Otter will some∣times seeke his feede a myle (or little lesse) from his couche and place of reste: and commonly he will rather go vp the Riuer than downt: for goyng vp the streame, the streame bringeth him sent of the fishes that are aboue him: and bearing his nose into the winde, he shall the sooner finde any faulte that is aboue him.

also you should make an assembly for the Otter as you do for y^t Harte, and it is a note to be obserued that all such chaces as you draw after before you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them, lodge them, or herbor them, you shoulde make a solempne assembly to heare all reportes before you vndertake to hunte them, and then he which hath foūd of an Otter, or so drawen toward his couche that he can vndertake to bryng you vnto him, shall cause his houndes to be vncoupled a vowshotte or twayne before he come at the place where he thin∣keth that the Otter lieth: bycause they may skommer and caste about a while vntill they haue cooled their bawling and brayne∣sicke toyes, whiche all houndes do lightly vse at the first vncou∣plyng: then the varlets of the kennell shall secke by the riuers side, and beate the bankes with theyr boundes vntill some one of them chaunce vpō the Otter: remember alwayes to set out some vpwards and some downe the streames, and euery man his Ot∣ter speare or forked staffe in his hande, to watche his ventes, for that is the chiefe aduantage: and if they perceyue where the Ot∣ter cōmeth vnder the water (as they may perceyue if they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it well) then shall they watche to see if they can get to stand be∣fore him at some place where he would vent, & stryke him with theyr speare or staffe: and if they misse, then shall they runne vp or downe the streame as they see the Otter bend, vntil they may at last giue him a Blowe: for if the houndes be good Otter houndes and perfectly entred, they will come chaunting and trayling alongst by the riuers side, & will beate euery tree roote, euery holme, euery Osier bedde, and tufft of bulrushes: yea som∣times also they will take the ryuer and beate it like a water spa∣niell: so that it shall not be possible for the Otter to escape, but that eyther the houndes shall light vpon him, or els some of the huntesmen shall strike him; and thus may you haue excellent sporte and pastime in hunting of the Otter, if the houndes be good, and that the Riuers be not ouer great: where the Riuers be greate, some vse to haue a lyne throwen ouerthwart the Ri∣uer, the whiche twoo of the huntesmen shall holde by eche ende, one on the one side of the Riuer, and the other on that •…•…her: and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them holde the line so slacke that it may alwayes be vnder∣neath

the water, & so go on w^t it: and if y^e Otter come diuing vnder y^t water, he shall of necessitie touche their line, & so they shal feele & know which way he is passed, the which shal make him be taken the sooner. An Otters skinne is very good furre, & his grease wil make a medicine to make fishes turn vp their bellies as if they were deade. A good Otter hounde may proue an excellēt good buckhoūd, if he be not old before he be entred.

Thus haue you now asmuch as I cā presently set down for y^t hūting of such chaces as I thinke likely or possible to be hū∣ted in this our cūtry: yea some also percase which you wil say are not in vse w^t vs at these daies. But bicause I haue suffici∣ently declared mine intēt in myne Epistle in the beginning of this book, therfore I wil spēde no more time in excusing of my self: but wil passe ouer vnto y^t Woulfe, & the Beare, which are as strange & stranger than any other that I hitherto named.

[illustration]

The Otters oration

VVHy stande we beastes abasht, or spare to speake? Why make we not a vertue of our neede? We know by proofe, in witte we are too weake, •…•…nd weaker muche, bicause all Adams seede, (Whiche beare away the weyght of witte in deede)

Do dayly seeke our names for to distayne, With slandrous blotte, for whiche we Beastes be slayne.

Firste of my selfe, before the rest to treate, Moste men crye out, that fishe I do deuoure, Yea some will say, that Lambes (with mee) be meate: I graunte to bothe, and he that hath the powre, To feede on fishe that sweeter were than sowre, And had yong fleshe to banquet at his fill, Were fonde to fraunche on garbage, graynes, or •…•…wyll,

But master Man, which findeth all this fault, And streynes deuise for many a dayntie dishe, Whiche suffreth not that hunger him assault, But feedes his fill on euery fleshe and fishe, Whiche muste haue all, as muche as witte can wishe, Us seely Beastes, deuouring Beastes do call, And he himselfe, moste bloudie beaste of all.

Well yet mee thinkes, I heare him preache this Texte, Howe all that is, was made for vse of man: So was it sure, but therewith followes next, This heauie place, expounde it who so can: The very Scourge and Plague of God his Ban, Will lyght on suche as queyntly can deuise To eate more meate, than may their mouthes suffise.

Nowe master Man, stande foorth and here declare, Who euer yet coulde see an Otter eate More meate at once, than serued for his share? Who sees vs beastes sitte-bybbing in our seate, With sundry wynes, and sundry kindes of meate? Whiche breede disease, yfostred in suche feastes, If men do so, be they not woorse than beastes?

The beastly man, muste •…•…itte all day and quasse, The Beaste indeede, doth drincke but twice a day, The beastly man, muste stuffe his monstrous masse With secrete cause of surfetting alwaye: Where beasts be glad to feede when they get pray,

And neuer eate more than may do them good, Where men be sicke, and surfet thorough foode.

Who sees a Beast, for savrie Sawces long? Who sees a Beast, or chicke or Capon cramme? Who sees a Beast, once luld on sleepe with song? Who sees a Beast make vensone of a Ramme? Who sees a Beast destroy both whelpe and damme? Who sees a Beast vse beastly Gluttonie? Which man doth vse, for great Ciuilitie.

I know not I, if dyuing be my fault, Me thinks most men can diue as well as I: Some men can diue in Seller and in vault, In Parlor, Hall, Kitchen and Buttery, To smell the roste, whereof the fume doth fl•…•…e; And as for gaines, men diue in euery streame, All frawdes be fishe, their stomacks neuer squeame.

So to conclude, when men their faults can mend, And shunne the shame, wherewith they beasts do blot, When men their time and treasure not mispende, But follow grace, which is with paines ygot, When men can vice rebuke and vse it not: Then shall they shine, like men of worthy fame, And else they be but Beasts well worthy blame.