HAWKWEED. 345 



of high rank were allowed to partake of. Prior 

 observes, 



•* A falc'ner Henry is when Emma hawks ; 

 With her of tarsals and of lures he talks." 



And Shakspeare says, 



" Whereas the king- and queen do mean to hawk." 



The laws which have been made in modern 

 times for the preservation of game are not more 

 severe than those instituted by our forefathers 

 for the security of their hawks. In the 34th of 

 Edward the Third it was made felony to steal a 

 hawk, and to take its eggs, even in a person's 

 own ground, was punishable with imprisonment 

 for a year and a day, besides a fine at the king's 

 pleasure; but in the reign of Queen Elizabeth 

 the imprisonment was reduced to three months, but 

 the offender was to find security for his good be- 

 haviour for seven years, or to remain in prison 

 till he could find a friend who would be answer- 

 able for his conduct. 



Falconry appears to have been of great anti- 

 quity in the eastern parts of the globe, since our 

 earliest accounts of China notices the practice of 

 this art in that country. Marco Polo, who visited 

 China in the year 1269, tells us, that he wit- 

 nessed the emperor enjoying this diversion at- 



