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 the Mewing of Merlins, Faulcons, Gerfaul∣cons, and Mylions at Stock or at Large: and which is the best way of Mewing.

It is the opinion of some, (but how commendable, I will leave the Reader to judge) that Merlins cannot

be mew'd, or if they be, that they are very rarely good afterwards. Experience tells me the contrary: for if they be hardy, and have flown well in their Soarage, they have proved much better after mewing than be∣fore.

The time of mewing for Faulcons should be about the latter end of April; at which time set down your Faulcons, diligently observing whether they be louzy or not: if they are, pepper them, and that will infallibly kill the Lice. You must also scour them, before you cast them into the Mew.

Mewings are of two sorts; the one loose and at large, the other at the Stock or Stone.

Mewing at large is thus in short: If your Room be large, by divisions you may mew four Faulcons at once, each partition consisting of about twelve foot square, and as much in height, with two Windows two foot broad, the one opening to the North, for the benefit of cold Air; the other to the East, for the beneficial warmth of the Sun. At your East-window let there be a Board two foot broad, even with the bot∣tom of the Window, with a Lath or Ledge round; in the middle set a green Turff, laying good store of Gravel and Stones about it, that your Hawk may take them at her pleasure.

If your Faulcon be a great Bater, let your Chamber be on the ground, which must be covered four fingers thick with gross Sand, and thereon set a Stone some∣what taper, of about a Cubit in height, on which they love to sit, by reason of its coolness.

Make her two Perches, at each Window one, to recreate her self as she pleaseth, either with Heat or Cold.

Every week or fortnight set her a Bason of Water to bathe in; and when she hath bathed therein, take it away the night following.

Your Mew must have a Portal to convey in the Hack, a thing whereon the meat is served. I need not prescribe the manner how to make it, since it is a thing so generally known already.

You ought to keep one set-hour in feeding; for so will she mew sooner and better: when she hath fed and gorged her self, then remove the Stick from the Hack on which the meat was fastened, to keep her from dragging it into the Mew.

In the opinion of most, it is better Mewing at the Stock or Stone, which must be performed thus: Make choice of a Ground-room remote from noise or con∣course of people, and therein set a Table of what length you think is most convenient for the number of your Faulcons, and of about six foot in breadth, with thin Boards along the sides and ends, about four fingers high from the superficies of the Table, which must stand on Tressels about three foot high from the ground. Let this Table be covered indifferently thick with great Sand mixt with small Pebbles, in the midst whereof place a pyramidal Free-stone about a yard in height, unto which tye your Faulcon, Gerfaulcon, Mer∣lin or Mylion: then take a small Cord of the bigness of a Bow-string, and put it through a Ring or Swivel, and bind it about the Stone in such sort that the Swi∣vel may go round the Stone without let or hindrance, and thereunto tye the Lease of your Hawk.

Here note, that if you mew more than one Hawk in one Room, you must set your Stones at that di∣stance, that when they bate they may not crab one a∣nother.

The reason of placing this Stone is, because the Faulcon delights to sit thereon for its coolness sake, and the little gravelly stones the Hawk frequently swal∣lows to cool her within. The Sand is necessary to preserve their Feathers when they bate, and their Mew∣ets

are the more easily cleansed. The little Gord with the Swivel tyed about the Stone, is to keep the Hawk from tangling when she bateth, because the Ring will still follow her.

All day let your Hawk stand hooded, onely when you take her on your Fist to feed: at night unhood her; and lest any accident should happen in the night, prejudicial to the Hawk, the Faulconer ought to lie in the Mew.