118 A Discourse on Hunting, 
man must followe the hounds straight, and your other two must goe the one 
sixe skore yards wide of the hounds on one side, and the other as farre 
wide on the other side: to the end if any yong hound put out of either side, he 
may bee beaten in againe to the crie. Your Huntsman that followeth straight 
must keepe himselfe eight skore yards behind the hounds at the least, that 
they may haue roome to undoe a double, and he to keepe them from countring: 
and at euery ouer putting off the hounds, or small stop, euery huntsman that 
hath a horne ought to begin his rechace, and before the same bee ended the 
hounds will bee in full chase againe: and so all the time fild either with hunt- 
ing or blowing. But if the fault growe so great that none of the Huntsmen 
can undoe it with pricking of the high waies, then must they goe on, and cast 
a small round about the place where the Hounds stopped. And if no Hounds 
take it at that cast, then must they cast a greater compasse round about, 
drawing the hounds softly : and if it bee not hit then, the Huntsman should 
blowe a call, that all that be in the field may repayre to him, and beate for the 
squat of the Hare. 
If she be recouered by any Huntsman or hounds, and afterwards take a 
flocke of sheepe, or as the manner of the plaine or filden cauntrey is, take a 
heard of Swine or of beasts, and the Huntsman cast past the foyle, and the 
hounds hit of the sent againe either ouerthwart the fallowes, or upon a cold 
wet moorish ground: then doth it come to cold hunting, so as you shall see 
the hounds pinch by footes and take it one from anothers nose: and you may 
not in anie wise comfort your hounds too much when the sent is so very colde, 
but that one hound may heare another. One Hare kild thus with cold hunt- 
ing, is better kild than twentie in hot chase. If uppon followes the Hare 
fortune to double in rainie weather, you may helpe the hounds much by calling 
them to the stdues end: but you must haue regard that it be newe and not old, 
for so might you doo the hounds great wrong. I was once in the field my selfe 
where I sawe a Gentleman come in by chaunce with a Beagle, at which time 
the hounds were at fault by reason ofa flock of sheepe which were driven 
along the high way where the Hare was gone before: This Beagle took it 
downe the way and cride it : there being ten or twelve couple of good hounds 
in the companie, and not any of their noses seruing them, untill the Beagle had 
brought it from off the foyld ground, and then bid they all fall to hunting, and 
recouer the Hare which was squat, and killed her. 
A good Huntsman ought to blowe the death, and carry with him a peece of 
bread in his sleeue to wet in the bloud of the Hare for the reliefe of his whelps, 
and he ought to be carefull that all his hounds be coupled up, and none going 
loose neither to the field nor home againe: and be sure that meate bee made 
in the morning to feede them withall at euening when they come home. And 
this I know by my owne experience, that the purest and finest feeding is with 
ground Otes put in a tub and scalded with water : which tub being made close 
with a couer, will keep the meate hot till night. 
Te 
