in the ende of October bycause of the Wynter and coldes whiche then beginne to reygne and for that mylke and other nouritures which are most meete for them doe then beginne to fayle and therefore it is then verie harde if they be whelped in such season that they shoulde escape death for as muche as the Winter hath ouertaken them before they haue force to endure the colde and though they doe escape yet will they be small and weake Another vnmeete season for whelpes is in Iuly and August bycause of the vehement heates and the flyes fleas and other vermyne which then will torment them But the best season to haue whelpes is in March Apryll and Maye when the time is temperate and the heate not ouer greate Also it is the right time which nature hath appoynted for the breeding of all lyuing creatures as Kyne Goates Sheepe and suche lyke for that is the season most fytte for their nouriture And seeyng that whelpes maye be bredde in all seasons and that many delyght to breede their kynde and to nourishe them in what season to euer they come I haue therfore thought good according to my fantasie to gyue vnderstanding of meanes howe to preserue them Fyrst if they be whelped in Wynter you shall take a Barrell or a Pype well dryed and knocke out the heade at the one ende thereof afterwardes put strawe therein and set it by a place where there is ordinarily a good fyre then turne the open ende towardes the fyre to the ende the whelpes may haue the ayre thereof and you shall feede the damme with good pottage or broth made with Beefe or Mutton Then when the whelpes begynne to lappe you shall accustome them also vnto pottage but such as haue no salte therein bycause salte doth make them drye and causeth them to become maungie vnto the which disease they are subiect when they are whelped in winter Also you shall put in their pottage much Sage other hote hearbes And if peraduenture you see that their haire do fall you shall then annoynt thē with oyle of Walnuts honny mingled together kepe them in their tun or which as cleane as you can and chaunge their strawe euery day and when you perceiue that they beginne to goe you shall haue a net made of strong thread laced with a thong and fasmed about the Tun or Pype euen as they couer a Swyssers drūme so that you may kepe them from going out and that other dogs do not byte them or that they be troden vpon or marred with mens feete And you must make this pype or tunne in such sorte that it may be opened when you will. And as touching other whelpes which are bred in Sommer they must be put in some freshe place whether other dogges come not ordinarily and you should lay vnder them some hardle or watlyng with strawe therevpon least the colde or moystnesse of the earth doe annoy them and that strawe must also be often changed They ought also to be in some darke place bycause the Flyes shall so least annoy them and therewithall it shall be also good to annoynte them twyce a weeke with oyle of Nuttes myngled and beaten with Saffron bruzed to pouder for that oyntment doth kyil all sortes of wormes and recomfortes the skynne and the synewes of dogges and keepeth them from byting of Flyes and Punayses And sometyme you must also annoynte the Bytch in like manner and put there to the iupce of Berue or wylde Cresseys for feare least she fyll hir whelpes full of Fleas and forget not to nourishe hir with pottage as is before rehearsed When the whelpes shall be fyfteene dayes olde you muste worme them and eyght dayes after you may cut off one ioynte of theyr tayles in suche fourme and manner as I will prescribe hereafter in the treatie of Receiptes Afterwardes when they shall begynne to see and to rate you muste gyue them good mylke alwayes hote whether it be Cowes mylke Gotes mylke or Ewes mylke and note that it shall not be good to wayne them and put them to keeping abroade vntyll they be two monethes olde and that for dyuers causes One bycause the longer they taste of theyr dammes teate the more they shall take of hir complexion and nature the which we may see by experience For when a Bytch hath whelpes let a mastyffe bytch gyue sucke to that one halft and you shall fynde that they will neuer be so good as those which the damme dyd bring vppe Another cause is that if you separate them one from another before they be two monethes olde at the least they will be chyll and tender and it will be straunge vnto them by want of their damme which was wont to keepe them warme The signes and tokens which a man ought to regarde in iudging whether the whelpes will be good or not Chap. 9. THE auncient Authours would say that a man maye knowe the best whelpes by the dammes teates and that such as commonly sucked the teates which are nearer the heart of the damme are the best and the strongest bycause the bloude about that place is most lyuely and delicate Others haue sayde that they might be knowne by a token which they haue vnder the throate whereas there are certayne haires lyke vnto Hogges brystles and that if there be odde haires it is a token of goodnesse and that if there be euen it is an euill token Some other haue taken marke by the hynder legges by the dewclawes for if there be none saye they it is a good token and if there be but one it is also good but if there be two it is an euill likelyhoode Some agayne wyll looke within the mouth of the whelpe thinking that suche as haue the roofe of their mouthe blacke should be good and suche as are redde there should not be muche worth And if they haue theyr nostrelles wyde and open it is a sygne that they shall be of perfect sent As to the consideration of other partes of the bodye there is no great iudgement vntyll they be three or foure monethes olde Neuerthelesse I take them whiche haue long large and thicke eares and the hayre vnder their belly hard and great to be the best and those markes I haue proued and founde true Nowe bycause I haue thereof spoken a little before I will speake none other thing therevpon at this present That it is best bringing vp of whelpes in villages in the countrey and not in shambles Chap. 10. WHen your whelpes be brought vp two monethes vnder the damme and that you see they can feede well then shall it be good to feede them abroad into the Uyllages to keepe in some fayre place whiche is neare vnto some water and farre from any Warren of Coneys for as much as if they haue scarcetie of water and when they come to be of force they maye chaunce to be subiecte vnto madnesse bycause theyr bloude wyll become hote and drye whereas the
all reportes before you vndertake to hunte them and then he which hath fouÌ„d 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 thinketh that the Otter lieth bycause they may skommer and caste about a while vntill they haue cooled their bawling and braynesicke toyes whiche all houndes do lightly vse at the first vncouplyng 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 vpoÌ„ the Otter remember alwayes to set out some vpwards and some downe the streames and euery man his Otter speare or forked staffe in his hande to watche his ventes for that is the chiefe aduantage and if they perceyue where the Otter coÌ„meth vnder the water as they may perceyue if they 〈◊〉 it well then shall they watche to see if they can get to stand before 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 somtimes also they will take the ryuer and beate it like a water spaniell 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 Riuer the whiche twoo of the huntesmen shall holde by eche ende one on the one side of the Riuer and the other on that â—…her and 〈◊〉 them holde the line so slacke that it may alwayes be vnderneath the water so go on with it and if the Otter come diuing vnder that 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 excelleÌ„t good buckhouÌ„d if he be not old before he be entred Thus haue you now asmuch as I caÌ„ presently set down for that huÌ„ting of such chaces as I thinke likely or possible to be huÌ„ted in this our cuÌ„try yea some also percase which you wil say are not in vse with vs at these daies But bicause I haue sufficiently declared mine inteÌ„t in myne Epistle in the beginning of this book therfore I wil speÌ„de no more time in excusing of my self but wil passe ouer vnto that Woulfe the Beare which are as strange stranger than any other that I hitherto named 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 â—…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 â—…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 â—…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 flâ—…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 Of the hunting of the Wolfe and first of their nature and properties Chap. 75. THe Wolfe is a beast sufficiently knowen in Fraunce and other Countries where he is bred but here in EnglaÌ„d they be not to be fouÌ„d in any place In Ireland as I haue heard there are great store of them and bycause many Noble men and Gentlemen haue a desire to bring that Countrie to be inhabited and ciuilly gouerned and would God ther were moe of the same mind therefore I haue thought good to set downe the nature and maner of hunting at the Wolfe according to mine Author The Wolfe sayeth he goeth on 〈◊〉 in February in such sort as a Dogge lineth a birth wheÌ„ she goetâ—… saulte wherin they abide ten or twelue dayes many
tymes the cobwebbes fall from the saye and are not suche as Spyders make but a kind of kell which as I haue seene of experience of an Hart passing by me within one hundreth paces and I haue gone to see the slotte streight wayes and before I coulde come at it the copwebbes or kelles were fallen vppon it So is there also another kynde of men whiche marke when the slotte is full of cleere water in soft groundes where an Harte hath passed and saye that he is gone long before but they neuer mark whether the ground be subiect vnto moysture or not and yet they may well knowe that being subiect vnto moysture then the little sources whyche passe by chanels vnseene in the earth will soone fyll the Slotte with cleare water whiche may cause a Huntesman to be deceiued and therfore let him looke well to it and also let hym not altogither trust vnto his hounde For some houndes will also beguyle their maister and especially those hounds that are quickest of sente whiche are not best for the mornings bicause of the ryndes and dewes and then they draw but slowly making smal accompt on theyr quest as though the game were gone farre before them but when the Sunne is well vp and that the deaw is cleared and the sent of the earth is perfect then haue they good sent and doe their dutie well Then to returne to our purpose if the Huntesman fynde of an Harte which liketh him that hath passed that way lately and if his hound sticke well vpon it then let him holde his hound short for feare least he lapyst and again in a morning a hounde shall drawe better beeing helde shorte than if he were lette at length of the Lyam And yet some Hunters will giue them all the Lyam but they doe not wel When he hath well considered what maner of Hart it may be aud hath marked euery thing to iudge by then let him draw tyll he come to the couert where he is gone to and lette him harboure him if he can still marking all his tokens as well by the Slot as by the entries foyelles and such like That done let him plashe or bruse downe small twigges some alofte and some bylowe as the arte requireth and therewithall whilest his hounde is hote let him beate the outsides and make his ryngwalkes twyce or thrice about the woode one whyle by the great and open wayes that he may helpe him self by his eye another whyle through the thicke and couert for feare least his hounde should ouershoote it for he shall haue better sent alwayes in the couert than abroad in the high wayes And if he finde that the Hart be not gone out of the ryngwalke or do doubt that he haue drawne amysse then let him goe to his markes which he plashed or shred and drawe counter till he maye take vp the fewmet as well made in the euenings reliefe as in the morning and let him marke the place where he hath fed and whereon also to marke his subtleties and craftes for thereby the huntesmen shall knowe what he will doe when he is before the houndes For if in the morning he haue made any doublings towardes the water or else in his waye then when he beginneth to be spent before the houndes all the faultes doublings or subtleties that he will vse shall be in the same places and like vnto those which he hath vsed in the morning and thereby the huntesman may take aduauntage both for his houndes and for the huntesmen on horsebacke And if it chaunce that the huntesmen finde two or three places where the Deare hath entred and as many where he hath comen out then must he marke well which entrie seemeth to be freshest and whether the places where he came forth agayne were not beaten the same night For an Harte doth oftentimes goe in and out of his harbrough in the night especially if it be a craftie olde Deare he will vse great subtleties beating one place diuers times to and fro Then if the huntesman can not finde all his goyngs out commings in nor can well tell which of them he were best to trust vnto he muste then take his compasse and ryngwalke the greater about the couert so as he may therein enclose all his subtleties entries and commings out And when he seeth that all is compassed within his ryngwalke excepting onely one comming in whereby he might be come from the springs or feedes then must he let his houndes draw hardly and if it be possible let him drawe euen to the Hartes layre or harbour for he maye well thinke that those pathes or trackes will bring him to it And in this manner huntesmen should harbour their Deare but not as many huntesmen do now adayes For if they can not quickly come to the harbour of an Harte they then will foyle the gappes so to make him harbour which is oftentimes a cause that they finde nothing in their circuites or walks And some againe do trust altogether in their hound And when they finde the Slotte of an Hart they will onely plashe or brust some bought at entrie of the thicket and then go vnder the wind and if their houndes do winde any thing then they neuer cast about but trust so vnto their houndes winding of it Such men trust more in their hounde than to their owne eyes And me thinkes a good huntesman should neuer greatly esteeme a hounde which hangeth altogether vpon windnig aloft for he neuer putteth his nose to the grounde and therefore doth oftentimes begile his maister How the huntsman should seeke in the springs or feede to finde an hart by the eye Chap. 30. THe Huntesman ought to looke ouer night in what coaste the Deare go to feede and if it be in a spring then let him mark which way he may best come in the morning vpō a cleare wind And also let him chose some standing in some tree on the border of the spring from the which he may behold eassly all things that feed therin In the morning let him rise two houres before day and go to the couert and when he is come neare to the Deares harbroughes he should leaue his hound in some house or if he haue a boye with him he may leaue his hounde with the boye and place him somewhere that he may quickly finde him againe if he haue neede of him then let him go to his tree whiche he marked ouer night and let him get vp into it lookyng into the spring and if he espie an Harte whiche like him then lette him marke what head he beareth and let him not sturre from thence vntill he see him go to herbrough Afterwardes when he seeth that he is in the thicke he must marke the place whereaboutes he entred by some little pretie tree or suche like thing that beyng done he shall come downe and go fetche his hounde but here he shall marke one secrete that he go not aboute to
herbor an Harte an houre at least after he see him go to layre bycause somtimes an Harte goeth to layre at the bordure of the thicket or els will come backe thither to harken or see it any thing there be whiche might anoy them as I haue sayde before and therefore the Huntesman should not go so soone And furdermore if in casting aboute the couert he heare eyther Pies Iayes or such birds wondering then let him withdraw him and stand close for that is a token that the Harte is yet on foote and then let him stay halfe an houre longer before he make his ringwalke And when he hath wel and surely herbored him he may go backe to the assembly and make reporte thereof and descyfer the Hartes head which he hath seene with all other good markes and tokens And if he haue taken vp any of the fewmet he shoulde put them in his horne and bryng them also to the assembly How the Huntsman should go to seeke an Harte in small groues or hewts beyng priuily enclosed within the greater springs in the Forests and strong couerts Cha. 31. Oftentimes the craftie Deare whiche haue bene in times past runne and chased with houndes do keepe long time close come not out of the strong holdes thickettes and feede in small priuie groues and hewts whiche haue brne lately felled within the greater couerts and thus they do most commonly in May June rather than in any other season of the yeare for asmuch as in those monethes they go not much to the water but content thēselues with the moysture of the dewe and the earth the which suffizeth them but in July and August when the wood hardeneth and the heate is vehement then they muste needes discouer themselues and come out of their holdes to go vnto the water Neuerthelesse in what season soeuer it be they cānot hide themselues abou◅ foure dayes but that they muste come out of the thickets and that for sundrie causes wherof one is that they will go to see where other Deare do lie by whom they hope to finde safegarde for if they should be hunted they woulde f◅ee among them for change that so the houndes might be deceyued or els sometimes they come foorth to go to their feede Neuerthelesse when they do so they retire into their holdes two or three houres before day To preuent such craftie and subtile Deare the Huntsman must vse this manner First when he is in a fayre thicke or couert at the ende of a Forrest and chanceth to finde the slotte of an Harte beyng old trodden as a day or two before and that the grounde is much broken with such old trackes then he must cast and beate all the outsides and if perchaunce he neither finde him to haue gone out nor in either lately or of old then may he well thinke that he goeth not out and that he hideth and concealeth himself within the thickes then let him get him vnder the wind and let him go into the thickes holding his hounde shorte creeping as secretely as he can and if he perceyue that ◅is hounde haue any thing in winde and that by his countenance gesture it should be like that he is not far◅e from the Harte then let him withdrawe and retyre himself for feare least he rowze him and let him go in at some other side of the woodde where it is not so thicke then if he chance to finde any little ◅ewtes or springes priuily copsed within the thicke where the Harte may feede by night he may search it fayre and well and take vp the fewmishyngs which he findeth But here muste you note one thing that is that he may not go into suche places vntill it be nine of the clocke in the mornyng bicause such Hartes do sometimes take herbrough or layre within those little Copisses to enioy the cōforte of the Sunne and about nine of the clocke they withdraw themselues to the shadowe for two principall reasons whereof that one is for feare of the Flies and Horseflies whiche woulde torment him if he were abrode the other for to auoyde the vehement heate of the Sunne whiche would be at none dayes And the Huntesman must take good heede that he enter not ouer fast into the thicke for that such Hartes do sometimes take layre very neare those priuie coppyses bicause they are neyther feared nor styrred But it suffiseth for thē if they be only in couert And also in such springs they come out to feede immediately after sixe of the clocke in the euening and therefore let the Huntesman be content to haue seene the Slotte freshe and to haue taken vp the fewmishing and afterwards let him retyre himself as secretely as he can and neuer tarie to see or marke the entries but carrie his hounde in his armes with him And when he is farre inough from thence lette him counterfayte the Shepherd or whistle in some pipe least the Harte haue gotten him in the winde and so rowze for if he sing or whistle he shall enbolden him againe Afterwards he may rest half an houre or more in some place by to the ende that the Harte may be the better assured and then let him caste about and make his ring And if perchance he cannot finde any fewmishing and that the place be so thicke of grasse that he cannot well see the Slotte then let him kneele downe hauing his hounde behinde him lookyng vppon the foyles and trackes in the leaues and grasse and if they be well streyned lette him clappe his hande vpon the Slotte and if he finde that it be foure fingers broade then may he iudge him an Harte of tenne by the foyles but if it be but three fingers broade he shall iudge it a yong Harte How the Huntesman should seeke an Harte in his feedes Chap. 32. HEre you must vnderstand that there is difference betweene springs or coppises and other feeding places for we call all pastures fieldes or gardens wh◅rein all sortes of corne and pothcarbes do grow feedings and when an Harte doth go to feede in such we say that he hath bene at his feede then the Huntesman must be styrring carely to go seeke the Harte in suche places for asmuch as the good people of the villages whiche are aboute suche places do rise by the breake of day to turne their cattell on field And therfore the Harts withdraw thēselues betimes into theyr thickes also the Kine Gotes Sheepe suche beasts will breake the slotte or view where the Harte shall haue passed the which would be an occasiō that the Huntesman could not perceiue it neyther yet his hounde could haue sent therof and therefore let him in such place be stirryng very earely Hovv a huntesman shall go to find out an Harte againe vvhen he hath bene hunted and lost the night before Chap. 33. IT happeneth very often that men fayle of killyng the Harte at force diuers kindes of wayes sometimes by occasion of
chaunce to ouershoote draw wrong or counter then muste the huntesman drawe him backe and say Backe backe softe softe vntill he haue set him right againe And if he perceyue that the hounde do amend his fault hunte right againe let him kne◅le down vpō one knee to marke the Slot or the portes well aduisedly and if he perceiue that his hounde draw right let him clappe him on the side cherish him saying That 's my boy that 's he that 's he To him knaue and let him blemish there aswell for thē that come after him as also to shew them that come with the kennell that the Harte passed there and if the kennell be to farre frō him he should crie Come neare come neare with the houndes or els let him blowe two motes leauing blemishes both alofte by lowe all the way as he goeth that if his hounde ouershoote or drawe amisse he may yet come back to his last blemish Then if he perceyue that his hounde do renew his drawing that he drawe stiffe so that it seemeth he be neare the Harte he must hold him then shorter shorter least if the Harte should rowze for feare a farre of his hounde hunting vpon the winde might ◅arie him amisse so that he should not finde the layre Whereby by the foyles about it he might haue certaine iudgement and if he rowze or vnharbor the Deare finde the layre let him not blow ouer hastely for the houndes but only crie Looke ware looke ware ware ware and let him drawe on with his hoūde vntil y Deare be descried rightly marked before he hallow And if he finde any fewmets as he draweth let him marke well whether they be lyke to those which he found before or not I meane those which he brought to the assembly yet sometimes he might so be deceyued but that is not often but only when the deare hath chaūged his fee◅e True it is that the fewmishing which a Deare maketh ouer night be not like those which he maketh in the morning when he draweth into the thicket to go to his layre for those which he maketh at his f◅ede in the night or euening be flatter softer better disgested than those which he maketh in a morning the reason is bicause he hath slept rested al day which maketh perfect digestion cōtrarily those which he ma◅eth in the rūning are neither so well disgested nor so soft For as much as al the night a Deare goeth trauelleth to seeke his feede hath neither had rest nor leysure to disgest his feede so well And yet they will be like of forme and proportion vnlesse the chaunge of feeding be the cause of it Or if the huntesman finde the layre of the Deare he shall lay his cheeke or his backe of his hande vpon it to feele if it be warme or not Or he may know by his hound for he will streyne and lappyse or whymper or sometime call on plainely All these tokens giue a huntesman to vnderstande that the Hart is rowzed and on foote Some Harts be so subtile and craftie that when they rowze and go from their layre they coast round about to seke some other Deare wherby the hounds which follo we them might finde change to hunt Or else perchance they haue some yong Brocket with them in company alwayes whereby the hunte man may be beguyled And therefore he shall not blowe to cast off more houndes when he rowzeth him but only crye ware ware ware come neare with the houndes And let him drawe after him still that way that he went fyftie or threescore paces And whē he shal perceiue that the Hart prepareth to flee if he seeme to be sure thereof let him blowe for the houndes and crye to them that 's he that 's he to him to him And let him drawe still vpon the Slot or viewe blowing and hallowing vntill the houndes be come in and beginne to take it right and therewithall he must goe amongst them with his hounde in the lyam to encourage them and to make them take it the more hotely Afterwardes when he seeth that they are in full crye and take it right he may go out of the thicke and giue his hounde to his boy or seruant and get vp on horsebacke keeping still vnder the winde and coasting to crosse the houndes which are in chace to helpe them at default if neede require But if it shoulde happen that the Harte turning counter vppon the houndes in the thicket had come amongest chaunge then let all the huntesmen menace and rate their houndes and couple them vp againe vntill they haue gone backe eyther to the layre or to last blemish made vpon any Slotte or viewe and so hunt on againe vntill they may finde the Harte For some beaten Deare will fall flat vpon his belly and neuer moue vntill the houndes be euen vpon him Certaine obseruations and suttleties to be vsed by Huntesmen in hunting an Harte at force Chap. 40. NOw that I haue treated of suche iudgements markes as the huntesmen may take of an Harte and how they should behaue themselues in harboring of a Deare I thinke meete likewise to instruct according to my simple skill the huntesmen on horsebacke how to chase and hunte an Harte at force and that aswel by aucthoritie of good auncient hunters as also by experience of mine owne hunting And bycause at these dayes there are many men which beare hornes and bewgles and yet cannot tell how to vse them neyther how to encourage and helpe theyr houndes therwith but rather do hinder than furder them hauing neyther skill nor delight to vse true measure in blowyng and therewithal seyng that Princes and Noble men take no delight in hūtyng hauing their eyes muftled with the Scarfe of worldly wealth and thinking thereby to make theyr names immortall which in deede doth often leade them to destruction bothe of bodie and soule and oftener is cause of the shortening of theyr lyfe which is their principall treasure here on earth since a man shall hardly see any of them reygne or liue so long as they did in those dayes that euery Forest rong with hou◅es and hornes and when plentie of flagon bottels were caried in euery quarter to refreshe them temperately Therefore I shoulde thinke it labour lost to set downe these things in any perfect order were it not that I haue good hope to see the nobilitie youth of England exercise themselues aswell in that as also in sundrie other noble pastimes of recreation accordyng to the steppes of theyr Honorable Iuncestors and Progenitours And therefore I aduenture this trauayle to set downe in articles and particularities the secretes and preceptes of Uenerie as you see First then the prickers and Huntesmen on horsebacke muste vnderstand that there is diuersitie betweene the termes and wordes whiche they shall vse to Buckhoundes and the termes and wordes which they shall vse in
HuntsmaÌ„ shal take greater heede to chaÌ„ge in the hollow high woodes than in yonger springs for a hounde will sooner ouershoote and hunte out in the hollowes than in the strong holdes Also in hollow high woodes a Harte dothe foreloyne more breaketh furder from the houndes and hath more leysure to crosse double and to seeke the change amongst other Deare thaÌ„ he hath in stroÌ„ger couerts also an Hart doth forloyne or breake out froÌ„ the houndes for an other cause that is when he feeleth himself sore layed to by the houndes seeth that no subtiltie helpeth him then becoÌ„meth he amased and looseth his courage and knoweth not whiche way to take but passeth at al aduenture ouer the fieldes and through the villages such other places Then should the Huntesmen drawe neare to their houndes and if they perceiue them at any default they shall neuer go backe to any Slot or viewe but go on still and hunte forwardes for a Deare that is spent or sore hunted and that seeketh to foreloyne or breake from the houndes will neuer tarie to crosse or double but holdeth head onwardes still as long as breath serueth him vnlesse he haue some soyle in the winde then he may chaunce go aside to take the Soyle but els not True it is that if he breake out into the chaÌ„paigne for any cause before mentioned be not sore spent nor beginne to sinke before the houndes then he maye chance to double crosse and vse other subtleties but if he be spent he will sildome vse any subtletie but onely to lye flat vpon his belly awhyle and that not long neither Furthermore you shall nowe vnderstande that there is great difference in finding out the subtleties of a Deare in the Forestes or strong holdes and those which he vseth in the playinaÌ„ chpaigne For in the stroÌ„g couerts you must cast about neare vnto the last Slot that you find and you must hold in as neare as you can For if the huntesmen cast wide out in beating for it they maye chaunce to light vpon change which will carie out your hounds to your great disaduantage But in the champaigne you maye cast about at large without dread of chaunge and that in the freshest and most coÌ„modious places where they might soonest finde viewe and so make it out and whereas also the houndes maye haue best sent For in the sandhils and drye places a hounde can not make it out so well by reason of the dust and sande which will strike vp into his nose and by reason that the Sunne doth sooner drye vp the moysture from the ground in those places Again bicause in such heathy places and barreyne grounds there is neyther grasse nor any thing whereon the Deare may leaue sent so well and that is the cause that Huntesmen may caste aboute in the moste conuenient moyst places and in the freshe vnder some bushe or shade where the earth is not so much dried and parched with the Sunne and if they cannot make it out at the firste casting aboute they may then caste about the second time a larger compasse and if by that meanes they make it not out then may they presume that he is within that compasse and precincte which they haue so caste about or else that the Harte hath made some crossyng or some doublyng or vsed some subtiltie then let them leade backe theyr houndes to the place where they first fell at default and put their houndes to it vpon the Slotte or where the earth is broken as they went before and lette them beate it well with their houndes speaking to them and cherishyng them all that they caÌ„ deuise aswell with their voyce as with their hornes and let them looke well to the grounde to helpe their houndes And it shal not be possible thus doyng but that you shal rowze the Deare againe within the circuite and compasse that you had earst cast about and at the least if you do not you shall yet finde where he is gone on and so make it out vnlesse the extremitie of the heate do altogether marre your houâ—…des Hunting Furthermore you shall remember that when an Harte breaketh out froÌ„ the houndes by the two firste places where you stay vpon any crossyng or doublyng that he hath made you shall perceyue all the subtilties and pollicies which he will vse all that day after For if his tâ—…oo first doublings or other subtilties be in an high waye or in á water then all the rest that he will vse all the day after will be in the same manner And then let the Huntesmen marke well on whiche hand he turneth when he parteth for on whiche hand soeuer he turne the two firste times on the same hand he will turne at his parting all the day after whether it be on the right hand or on the left hand And therefore remember euer when you come at any default to beate first on that haÌ„d which he tooke at the two first defaults Also an Harte doth oftentimes vse greate pollicies in the pathes within the greate woodes and strong couerts or els will follow such a pathe vntill he come to the outside of the woode as though he woulde come out into the playne and will immediately fall to double and crosse returnyng flat counter sometimes two boweshot togethers then the Huntesmen to make it out at such a default muste take good heede that theyr houndes take not the counter bycause the Harte is 〈◊〉 backwardes therewith so farre and also they shall finde the Slotte or view or at least the foyles of the view fresher in the couert than they should do abroade in the fielde the which may carrie them farre backe vpon the counter Wherefore at such defaults the Huntesmen shall not be to hastie with their houndes but rather giue them leysure and let them hunte in dread and doubt vntill they haue made it out perfectly Also there be some Hartes whiche when they rise out of their layres will halte or fall downe vpon their bellie before the Huntesmen and seeme to reele and royle before the houndes as if they were spent and sore hunted not long before by such subtleties you may iudge â—…asily that they are olde beaten Deare wel breathed wil stand long vp before your houndes trusting much in their force swiftnese for a huntsman may easily know when a Harte is spent in deede and when he beginneth to sinke and will not long holde vp by diuers tokens First if he neyther regard heare nor see any man or any thing before hinâ—… when the houndes runne him or if he beare his head lowe putting his nose downe to the grounde and reele or folter with his legges shewyng how feeble he is in deede or if he espie a man before him he rayseth vp his head and maketh great boundes and leapes on heigth as though he were lustie and freshe as I haue sayde heretofore but such friskes will not last long for when
called running madnesse and is likewise vncureable But the vyting thereof is not so venemous nor so dangerous for other beastes as the first is for it vexeth not continually without intermission And when a dog is madde of this kynde of madnesse the first dogge which he byteth in the forenoone dothe beare with him all his venome will be in great daunger to runne madde but as many as he byteth afterwardes may escape from running madde thereof When dogges haue this madnesse they runne not vpon beastes nor vpon men but onely vppon dogges and harken as they goe to heare the barking of other dogges to the ende they may go shake them and byte them They runne in the high wayes and cast their fayles betwene their legges trotting like a Foxe and may continue thus nyne monethes but not past These two kyndes of madnesse are more daungerous than all the rest and when a dogge will become madde of any of these two sortes of madnesse you may knowe by these tokens First they eate verie little they will smell vpon other dogs and when they haue smelt on them will shake and byte them yet wagging their â—…ayles and seeming to cherish them They sigh sore shuffe with their noses and looke sydewayes or ouerthwarts They are sad and heauie yet running after butterflyes and other flyes There are many other apparant tokens which I leaue for breuities sake WheÌ„ you perceiue them by such tokens shift them out of the company of other dogs and shut them vp for their breath is infectiue and mâ—…y make other dogges madde for such diseases are taken amongst dogs as the pestilence is amongst men The other fiue sorts of madnesse are nothing like so dangerous for dogs which are sicke of them do neither runne nor byte So that I esteeme them rather sicknesses than madnesses although sundrye huntsmen haue hold opinion that al the seuen sortes of madnesse were vncurable But I my selfe haue healed sundry dogs which haue biâ—… sicke of these other fiue kinds of madnesse hereafter mentioned with the Receiptes which I meane God willing to set down here in wryting And the said fiue sundry sorts of madnesse are thus named The first is called the dumme madnesse the which lieth within the bloud and is to be known by this note or signe The dogges which are mad therof wil not feed but hold their mouth wide opeÌ„ putting their feet into their mouth as if they had some bone in their throat hide theÌ„selues coÌ„monly in moist freshest places The seconde is called the falling madnesse for the dogs which haue it fal as they go as if they had the falling euill or the Saint Johns sycknesse And the disease lyeth in their heapes The thirde kynde of madnesse is called the Laâ—…ke madnesse For the disease is within their bodies and maketh them skuÌ„mer so much that they become so tanke leane and thynne that a man may thrust them through with his finger The fourth is called the sleeping madnesse The which commeth with a kinde of little wormes that lye in the mouth of a dogges stomacke being there engendered through corruption of humours the vapors and fumes whereof doe mount vp into the braynes of a dog and make him sleepe vncessantly so that commonly they die sleeping The fifth and last kynde of madnesse is called the 〈◊〉 or slauering madnesse For when a dogge hath it his heade swelleth and his eyes become yellowe as a Kyghts foote and he driueleth and slauereth at the mouth commonly When a dogge hath any of these kyndes of madnesse he will haue no lust to eate but lyueth eight or nyne dayes in this sorte doing no hurte to any thing and in the ende dyeth for hunger wherewithall you must vnderstande that dogs are of this propertie generally Whensoeuer they feele any disease within their bodies without any occasion of hurtes or such accidentes they wil neuer feede lightly vntill they be healed therof For proofe when a dogge is sicke he will not eate the deyntyest morsell that you can proffer him vntill he haue eaten grasse and cast vp all that was within him and then he will eate Some are of opinion that the worme vnder a dogs tong is the cause of madnesse but I thinke not so Although it maye be that suche as haue beene wormed doe not so commonly fall madde yet sometimes they do as may dayly be seene These diseases are taken amongst dogs by breathing and coÌ„panying one with another And therfore it shal be best to shut vp such as haue theÌ„ from al the rest of your houÌ„ds as is before sayd The receipt to heale the dumme madnesse TAke the weight of foure Frenche crownes of the iuyce of an herbe called Spathula putrida which hath a leafe muche like vnto the herbe called Ireos or Flower de luce but it is a litle blacker and put this iuyce into a litle pewter pot Then take asmuch of the iuyce of an herb called Helleborus niger in English Bearwort as much of the iuyce of Rewe And if it be in such season that these herbes haue no iuyce in them you must make a decoction of them And when you haue all these iuyces together take as much white wine as there was iuyce of Rewe Then streine them all through a fayre lynnen cloth and set them in a glasse Then take Scamony two drammes and let the Scamony be vnpreparate the which you shall mingle amongst all these iuyces TheÌ„ take the dog put a table napkin â—…owled in his mouth for byting and put downe this 〈◊〉 inâ—…o his throate with soâ—…e horne or tunnell holding vp his heade alofte least he cast it vp againe When you haue giuen him this receipt you shall let him bleed with a kniâ—…e in the mouth as you pricke a horâ—…e in y gums of the vpper iaw the â—…oofe of his mouth â—…ut him two or three vaines in his gums that he may bleede the better Then kennell him with fayre fresh straw and he will aâ—…end Note here that the herbe commonly called Harts horne or Dogs tooth is excellent good to cure any kynde of madnesse being droâ—…ke eight drammes of the iuyce thereof with a little salt A receipt for the falling or reeling madnesse which proceedeth from the braine TAke the weight of foure french crownes of the iuyce or seede of an herbe called Pyonye that sorte of Ryonye which beareth seede the weight of foure Frenche crownes of the iuyâ—… of an herbes roote called Bryonie or Vitis alba which groweth in the hedges and hath a roote as byg as a mans legge Then take as much of y iuyce of an herbe called â—…ruciata otherwise 〈◊〉 and foure drams of Stauesaker well brayed and beaten to poudâ—…r Mingle them all well together and giue it your hounde or dogge as afore sayde Then slyt his eares to make him bleede or else let him bloude on the two vaines which come downe his shoulders which in an horse are called the Arches