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.

The Nature and Properties of a Wolf, and the manner of its Hunting.

HEretofore I read that there were many Wolves in England, but now there are none; however they are still in Ireland, but their number is very much de∣creased within these thirty years; and that they may more and more decrease, being so pernicious to all sorts of Cattle, I thought good to publish the nature and man∣ner of their Hunting.

First, as to their Nature; they go a Clicketing in February, and continue in that manner ten or twelve days. Where many Wolves are, many will follow one Bitch, as Dogs will follow a Bitch that is salt, but she will be onely lined with one.

A notable story I have heard when I was in Ireland, and attested for a truth by the Inhabitants: That a Bitch-Wolf proud, will suffer a great many of the Male to follow her, and will carry them after her sometimes eight or ten days without Meat, Drink, or Rest; and when they are so tired that they cannot travel farther, she will first lie down, then will the rest follow her ex∣ample: when she perceives that they are all asleep, and through weariness snore, then will she arise and awake that Wolf which she observed to follow her most, and having so done, entice him with her far from the rest, and suffer him to line her: the rest awaking and find∣ing her missing, pursue her by the scent, and finding

how she hath cunningly deluded them, they fall instant∣ly on her Companion who hath been before-hand with them, and revenge themselves on him by depriving him of his life; which verifies the proverb: Never Wolf yet ever saw his Sire.

Their Whelps are able to ingender at twelve months end, at which age they part with their Dam, that is, when those Teeth are grown which they cast the first half year, and being grown, they never shed them a∣gain: and here see their gratitude, (though bloody cruel creatures) after they have preyed for themselves, if they chance to meet their Dam or Sire (for Turber∣vile doth not believe the aforesaid story) they will fawn upon them and lick them, rejoycing at the sight of them.

The Dog will never bring any of his Prey to his whelps till he hath filled his own belly; whereas the Bitch will not eat a bit till she hath served them first: they go nine weeks with whelp, and sometimes a little longer, and grow salt but once a year. As to number of whelps, they have more or less as Dogs have; for doubtless both the Wolf and the Fox are but a kind of wild Mastiffs and wild Curs.

They prey upon all kind of things, and will feed on Carrion, Vermin, &c. They will kill a Cow or a Bullock; and as for a Sheep, Goat, or good Porket, they will roundly carry him off in their Mouths, not touching ground with it, and will run so fast away, notwithstanding the load, that they are hardly to be stopped but by Mastiffs or Horse-men. There is no Beast which runneth faster than the Wolf, and holdeth wonderfully also. When he is hunted with Hounds, he flieth not far before them; and unless he be coursed with Grey-hounds or Mastiffs, he keepeth the Covert like the Bear, or Boar, and especially the bearen ways therein. Night is the usual time of his preying,

though hunger will force him to prey by day. They are more subtile and crafty (if more can be) than the Fox or any other beast: When they are hunted, they will take all their advantages; at other times they will never run over-hastily, but keep themselves in breath and force always.

A Wolf will stand up a whole day before a good Kennel of Hounds, unless that Grey-hounds or Wolf-dogs course him. If he stand at bay, have a care of be∣ing bitten by him; for being then mad, the wound is desperate, and hard to be cured.

When a Wolf falls into a flock of Sheep, with his good will he would kill them all before he feed upon any of them, and therefore all means should be used to destroy them, as by hunting at force, or with Grey∣hounds or Mastiffs, or caught in Gins and Snares; but they had need be strong. For encouragement to the meaner sort in Ireland, whosoever took a sucking-Whelp, or preying Cub, a Dog or a Bitch Wolf, and brought but the heads of either to the next Justice of Peace, for reward for the first, he received twenty shillings; for the second, forty; for the third, five pound; and for the last, six pounds: which late en∣couragement hath in a manner cleared that Kindom of them.

They bark and howl like unto Dogs; and if there be but two of them together, they make such a terrible hideous noise, that you would think there could be no less than twenty of them in a body.

When any one would hunt the Wolf, he must train him by these means: First let him look out some fair place, a mile or more from the great woods, where there is some close standing to place a brace of good Grey-hounds in, if need be, the which should be closely environed, and some pond of water by it: there he must kill a Horse that is worth little, and

take the four legs thereof and carry them into the Woods and Forests adjoyning; then let four men take every man a leg of the beast and draw it at his Horse∣tail all along the paths and ways in the Woods, until they come back again to the place where the Carcass of the said Beast lieth; there let them lay down their trains. Now when the Wolves go out in the night to prey, they will follow the scent of the train till they come to the carcass where it lieth. Then let those who love the sport, with their Huntsmen come early and privately near the place; and if they are discernable as they are seeding, in the first place let them consider which way will be the fairest course for the Grey∣hounds, and place them accordingly, and as near as they can let them forestal with their Grey-hounds the same way that the Wolves did or are flying either then or the night before; but if the Wolves be in the coverts near the carrien that was laid for them to feed upon, then let there be hewers set round the coverts to make a noise on every side, but onely that where the Grey∣hounds do stand; and let them stand thick together, making what noise they can to force them to the Grey∣hounds: Then let the Huntseman go with his Leam∣hound, and draw from the carrion to the thickets-sides where the Wolves have gone in, and there the Hunts∣man shall cast off the third part of their best Hounds; for a Wolf will sometimes hold a covert a long time be∣fore he will come out.

The Huntsmen must hold near in to the Hounds blowing hard, and encouraging them with their voice: for many Hounds will strain courtesie at this chase, although they are strong and fit for all other chases.

When the Wolf cometh to the Grey-hounds, they who hold them will do well to suffer the Wolf to pass by the first rank until he come further, and let the last

Rank let slip their Grey-hounds full in the face of the Wolf, and at the same instant let all the other Ranks let slip also: so that the first Rank staying him but ever so little, he may be assaulted on all sides at once, and by that means they shall the more easily take him.

It is best entring of Hounds at young Wolves which are not yet past half a year or a year old; for a Hound will hunt such more willing, and with less fear than an old Wolf; or you may take Wolves alive in En∣gines, and breaking their Teeth, enter your Hounds at them.

A man may know a Dog-Wolf from a Bitch by the tracks of his Feet; for the Dog hath a greater Heel, a greater Toe, greater Nails, and a rounder Foot. Besides, the Bitch casteth her Fiaunts commonly in the midst of an High-way, whereas the Dog casteth them either on the one side or the other of the Path.

The Reward of the Dogs is thus: when they have bit and shaked the dead Wolf, let the Huntsman then open his Belly straight along, and taking out his bow∣els, let him throw in Bread, Cheese, and other Scraps, and so let the Dogs feed therein.