345 FLORA HISTORIC A. 



tended by his grand falconer, and a thousand 

 subordinate persons in his train ; and that the 

 emperor often carried a hawk on his hand to let 

 fly at any game which might present itself, and 

 which were usually pheasants, partridges, cranes, 

 or quails. 



It is generally supposed that this mode of 

 hunting originated in Scyth^ia, and that it passed 

 from thence to the northern parts of Europe. 

 Tartary is even at present celebrated for its fine 

 breed of falcons : and the sport is in such gene- 

 ral esteem, that, according to Olearius, there 

 was no hut but what had its eagle or falcon, for 

 even the king of birds may be trained to hunt ; 

 and they have frequently been used for the chase 

 of the roebuck, the antelope, the wolf, the fox, 

 and other animals that are fleet of foot, for such 

 is the swiftness of the stronger kinds of the fea- 

 thered race, that it is recorded of a falcon be- 

 longing to a Duke of Cleve, that it flew out of 

 Westphalia into Prussia in one day, and in the 

 county of Norfolk a hawk has made a flight at a 

 woodcock near thirty miles in an hour. 



Scaliger asserts, that he saw a falcon belong- 

 ing to Henry, King of Navarre, strike down a 

 buzzard, two wild geese, divers kites, a crane, 

 and a swan. Thus we cannot be surprised that 

 men in early days should avail themselves of the 



