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 the Beare, and first of hir nature and properties. Chap. 77. (Book 77)

THere be Beares of two sorts, that one much greater than that other naturally: although they be of equall age, or how long foeuer they liue, but their properties and condicions are all one. sauing that the greater be much stronger, the which I accoumpt no difference of nature. They are naturally very cr•…•…est & harme∣full vnto all •…•…ame beastes, and are very strong in all partes of their bodies but onely the head. A small blow on the head killeth them: they go to make in December, some sooner & some later, according to their rest and good feeding: their heate endureth fifteene dayes and not paste. When the Shebeare doth feele hir yong within hir, then doth she withdrawe hir selfe into some caue or rocke, and their abideth vntil she bring forth hir whelps: therefore you shall seldome heare of a Beare taken when she is with whelpe. Somtimes a Beare, especially a Male, will keepe close in his denne fortie dayes and nightes without eyther meate or drinke, hauing none other nourishment but onely sleepe and •…•…ucking on his Toes: at fortie dayes ende they will come out, and though it be a fayre day, yet will they enclose themselues agayne for fourtie dayes longer, alwayes doubting that the winter will yet cōtinue: and lightly as long as any harde wea∣ther lasteth, they will not come out of their dennes. They are whelped most commonly in Marche: the most parte of them are dead one whole day after they be whelped: but the Dāme doth fo licke them, warme them, and cherishe them, that she reuiueth •…•…hem at last. Their heare at first is more whitish than like black:

they giue them sucke a moneth and not much more, and that is bicause their whelpes are curst and haue cruell pawes & sharpe nayles, and byte shrewdely: if they finde not their fill of milke in the Dammes teates, or that she remoue when they sucke, thē they will byte the teate, & teare their Dāme with their pawes, whervpon many of them kill their whelpes, and byte them sore somtimes. At least assoone as the Damme perceineth that they beginne to waxe strong, shee giueth them sucke no longer, but goeth abrode, and prayeth or fedeth vpon any thing that she cā finde, and then castes it vp agayne before hir whelpes, by that meanes she feedeth them vntill they can praye for themselues. When they ingender, they lye face to face. They feede vppon Hearbes, Frutes, Honie, Fleshe, Milke, Maste, Beanes, Pease, and of all manner of carion and vermine. They will clyme a tree for y^e frute: and somtimes in the winter or hard weather, when all these things faile them, they kill Kyne and other cat∣tell to feede un: and yet fewe of them do so, vnlesse it be sheepe, Gotes, or suche little beastes. If they be in good plyghte (and especially the greater sort) they continew in their strength and force tenne or twelue yeares. They liue sometimes. xx. yeares, but they doe oftentymes become blinde, and then they cannot pray. They go very far for their prayes, considering the great∣nesse and weight of their bodies, & that is bycause they would not be founde: but yet looke where they praye, they remaine and continue harde by their praye. If they be hunted, they followe a man, and yet neuer runne vpon him vnlesse they be hurt: but if they be hurte, then they runne vppon any thing that standes before them. They are maruelous strōg in their pawes, wher∣with they coll in a Man or a Dogge, in suche sorte, that many times they kill and smoother them, or breake their bulckes with the force. Their nayles haue great force, but not such as would kill a beast: but with their whole pawe they pull a dogge vnto their mouth, and then they teare him maruelously, for they byte sore, insomuch that if they get holde of a mans heade, they will byte him into y^e braines: & as for an arme or a leg, they would

crushe it in peeces like glasse. If you strike at them w^e a sword, they wil breake & beare off a great blow with their pawes: they are so heauie, that when they be hunted they cā make no speede, but are alwayes within sight of the Dogges: they stand not at a Baye like to the Bore, but flee styll wallowing as they can vntill helpe of men come in: and then if the houndes sticke in and fight with them, they fight very valiantly in their own de∣fence. Sometimes they stād vpon their hinder feete as vpright as a man: but that is a token of dread and cowardlynesse, but being vpon all foure they fight bothe the more strongly and the more stoutely: for then they declare that they will be reuenged, and flee no longer: they haue very perfect sent, & smel furder off thā any other beast, vnlesse it be the Bore. For in a whole For∣rest they will smel out a tree loden with mast: when they be o∣uerweried, they flee to some brooke or water, & ther they be ouer∣throwen: they may be hunted with Mastyfes, Greyhoundes, or houndes, & they are killed & chaced w^t bowe, borespeare, dartes, & swords: so are they also takē in snares, caues & pits, & in other engines. If two mē on foote hauing borespearesor Iauelins, or short pitchforkes, would sticke wel one to an others defēce & re∣uēge, they may kil a great beare for y^• Beare is of this nature, that at euery blowe she will be reuenged on whatsoeuer come next to hands. So that when y^e one hath striken the Beare, she will runne vpon him: & then if the other strike quickly, she will returne to him againe. So that the one may alwaies help and succour the other: they do naturally abide in the great Moun∣taines, but when it snoweth or is very hard weather, then they descēd to seeke foode in y^• valleies & Forests, they cast their lesses fomtimes in round Croteys, & somtimes flat like a Bullocke, according to the feede that they finde: they are able to engen•…•…r when they be but one yeare old, & then they departe from their dammes, they go somtimes a galloppe, & somtimes an amble: but when they wallow then they go at moste ease. When they are chased they flee into the couerts and Forestes, their season begynneth in Maye, and endureth vntyll suche tyme as they go to ingender agayne: but at all seasons they bee very fatte

both within and without. And by that meanes their season la∣steth longer than any other beasts. When a Beare is hurt sore, and escapeth the huntsmen, she will open and stretch hir wound, yea, sometimes she will drawe out hir owne guts and bowels to search them whether they be pierced or not: and by that mea∣nes many of them dye, when they might well escape. When they come from their feeding, they beate cōmonly the highways and beaten pathes: and where so euer they goe out of the hyghe way, there you may be sure they are gone to their denne, for they vse no doublings nor subtleties. They tumble and wallowe in water and myre like vnto sooyne, and they feede like a dogge. Their flesh is delicate to some mens tooth: but in mine opinion, it is rammishe and vnsauerie, at leastwise it can not be holsome. Their greace is good for the gowt and shrinking of the sinews, and the better, if it be mingled with other oyntments. Their feete are the best morsell of them, for they be delicate meate. Their skynne is a furre, but very course: meeter to laye vpon a bed, than to weare otherwise. I haue termed their fatte, greace, & so is it to be called of all beastes which praye: and of all Deare & other fallow beasts, it is to be called Sewet. As also their feede is called feeding, and a Deares is called feede, as I haue before declared.