The gentleman's recreation in four parts, viz. hunting, hawking, fowling, fishing : wherein these generous exercises are largely treated of, and the terms of art for hunting and hawking more amply enlarged than heretofore : whereto is prefixt a large sculpture, giving easie directions for blowing the horn, and other sculptures inserted proper to each recreation : with an abstract at the end of each subject of such laws as relate to the same.

Of Fox-Hunting.

HIs Shape and Proportion is so well known, being a beast so common, that it will be needless to describe him.

His nature in many respects is like that of a Wolf, for they bring as many Cubs at a Litter one as the o∣ther: but thus they differ; the Fox Litters deep under the ground, so doth not the Wolf,

A Bitch-Fox is hardly to be taken when she is brag∣ged and with Cub; for then she will lie near her Bur∣row, into which she runs upon the hearing of the least noise. And indeed at any time it is somewhat diffi∣cult; for the Fox (and so the Wolf) is a very subtile crafty creature.

Fox-hunting is very pleasant; for by reason of his strong hot scent he maketh an excellent Cry: And as his scent is hottest at hand, so it dies soonest. Besides, he never flies far before the Hounds, trusting not on his Legs, Strength, or Champion ground, but strongest Coverts. When he can no longer stand up before the Hounds, he then taketh Earth, and then must he be dig∣ged out.

If Grey-hounds course him on a Plain, his last refuge is to piss on his Tail, and flap it in their Faces as they come near him; sometimes squirting his thicker Excre∣ment upon them, to make them give over the Course a pursuit.

When a Bitch-Fox goes a clicketing and seeketh sot a Dog, she cryeth with a hollow Voice, not unlike the howling of a mad Dog; and in the same manner she cries when she misseth any of her Cubs: but never makes any cry at all when she is killing, but defend her self to the last gasp.

A Fox will prey upon any thing he can overcome, and feeds upon all sorts of Carrion; but their dainties and the food which they most delight in, is Poultry. They are very destructive and injurious to Coney-War∣rens, and will sometimes kill Hares by deceit and subtil∣ty, and not by swift running.

The Fox is taken with Hounds, Grey-hounds, Ter∣riers, Nets, and Gins.

Of Terriers there are two sorts, The one is crooked∣leg'd, and commonly short-hair'd: and these will take

Earth well, and will lie very long at Fox or Badger. The other sort is shagged and straight Legg'd: and these will not onely hunt above-ground as other Hounds, but also enter the Earth with much more fury than the former; but cannot stay in so long, by reason of their great eagerness.

The time of entring these Terriers, is when they are near a twelve-month old; for if you enter him not in within this time, you will hardly after bring him to take the Earth. And to encourage the young Terrier the more, put in an old one before him, that can better en∣dure the fury of the Fox or Badger: and be careful that neither of them be old when you engage your young Terrier with him.

The entring and fleshing them may be done several ways. In the first place thus: When Foxes and Bad∣gers have young Cubs, then take your old Terriers and enter them in the ground; and when they begin to bay, you must then hold every one of your Terriers at a sundry Hole or Mouth of the Earth, that they may listen and hear the old ones Bay. Having taken the old Fox or Badger, and that nothing remains within but the young Cubs, then couple up all your old Terri∣ers, and put in the young in their stead, encoura∣ging them by crying, To him, to him, to him. And if they take any young Cub within the ground, let them alone to do what they please with him; and forget not to give the old Terriers their reward, which is the Blood and Livers, fryed with Cheese and some of their own Grease, shewing them the Heads and Skins to encourage them. Before you reward them, wash them with Soap and warm Water, to clear their Skins from Earth and Clay that is clodded to the Hair, otherwise they are apt to be mangie. You may also enter them in this manner: Take an old Fox, or Badger, and cut away the neither Jaw, but meddle not with the other,

leaving the upper to shew the fury of the Beast, al∣though it can do no harm therewith. Then dig an Earth in some convenient place in your own grounds, and be careful to make it wide enough, to the intent the Terriers may turn therein the better, and that there may be room enough for two to enter together: then cover the Hole with boards and Turf, putting the Fox or Badger first therein, and afterwards put in your Terri∣ers both young and old, encouraging them with words that are the usual terms of Art. When they have bay'd sufficiently, then begin to dig with Spades and Mat∣tocks, to encourage them against such time as you are to dig over them: then take out the Fox or Badger with the Clamps or Pinchers, killing it before them, or let a Grey-hound kill it in their sight, and make them reward thereof. Here note, that instead of cutting away the Jaw, it will be every whit as well to break out all his Teeth, to prevent him from biting the Ter∣riers.

Now to say the truth, there is not much pastime or pleasure in Hunting of a Fox under ground; for as soon as that subtle creature perceiveth the Terriers, if they bay hard, and lie near unto them, they will bolt out immediately, unless it be when the Bitch hath young Cubs, then they will sooner die than stir.

They make their Earths as near as they can in ground that is hard to dig, as in Clay, Stoney-ground, or amongst the Roots of Trees; and their Earths have commonly but one Hole, and that is straight a long way in before it come at their Couch. Sometimes craftily they possess themselves of a Badger's old Bur∣row, which hath variety of Chambers, Holes, and Angles.

When a good Terrier doth once binde the Fox, he then yearns, and defends himself very notably, but not so strenuously as the Badger, nor is his biting half so

dangerous. Here note, if you take a Bitch-Fox when she goeth a Clicketing, and cut out that Gut which containeth her Sperm, together with the Kidneys which Gelders deprive Bitches of when they spay them, and cut them into small gobbets, mingling there∣with the Gum of Mastick, and put them hot as they are into a Pot, and cover the same close, it will serve for an excellent Train for a Fox, and will keep the whole year round. Take the Skin of Bacon, and broil it well on a Gridiron, then dip it in the ingredients of the Pot aforesaid, and make a train thereof, you will expe∣rimentally find, that if there be any Fox near to any place where the train is drawn, he will follow it; but let him who makes the train rub the soals of his Feet with Cow-dung, lest the Fox vent his footing: and thus you may train a Fox to a standing, and kill him in an Evening with Gun or Cross-bow. It is likewise found by experience, that if a Terrier be rubbed with Brimstone, or with Oil of Cade, and then put him into an Earth where either a Fox or Badger is, they will leave that Earth, and come not to it again a good while after.

I shall conclude this discourse with what I have ob∣served in Gesner's History of Beasts tending to the same purpose: saith he,

As he frequently cheats the Badger of his Habitation by laying his Excrements at the mouth of his Earth or Burrow; so, for as much as the Wolf is an Enemy to the Fox, he layeth in the mouth of his Earth an Herb called a Sea-onion, which a Wolf naturally hates, and is so averse thereunto, that he will never come near the place where it either lies or grows.

Of Fox-Hunting above ground.

To this purpose you must draw with your Hounds about Groves, Thickets, and Bushes near Villages: for

a Fox will lurk in such places, to prey on young Pigs and Pullein.

But it will be necessary to stop up his Earths, if you can find them, the night before you intend to hunt; and the best time will be about midnight, for then the Fox goeth out to seek his Prey. You may stop his Holes by laying two white sticks a cross before them, which will make him imagine it is some Gin or Trap laid for him: or else you may stop them up close with black-Thorns and Earth together.

The best hunting a Fox above-ground, is in January, February, and March, for then you shall best see your Hounds hunting, and best find his Earthing; besides, at those times the Fox's Skin is best in season.

Again, the Hounds best hunt the Fox in the coldest weather, because he leaveth a very strong scent behind him; yet in cold weather it chills fastest.

At first onely cast off your sure Finders, and as the Drag mends, so adde more as you dare trust them.

Shun casting off too many Hounds at once, because Woods and Coverts are full of sundry Chases, and so you may engage them in too many at one time.

Let such as you cast off at first be old Staunch-Hounds, which are sure; and if you hear such a Hound call on merrily, you may cast off some other to him; and when they run it on the full cry, cast off the rest: and thus you shall compleat your pastime.

The words of comfort are the same which are used in the other chases, attended with the same Hallowings and other ceremonies.

Let the Hounds kill the Fox themselves, and worry and hare him as much as they please: many Hounds will eat him with eagerness.

When he is dead, hang him at the end of a Pike-staff, and hallow in all your Hounds to bay him: but reward them not with any thing belonging to the Fox; for it is not good, neither will they eat it.