41 
, 
breeds in the low lands of Holland, though nearly all varieties 
pass over it yearly when migrating. Asa very sufficient know- 
ledge of the importance and constant reference to falconry and 
its practice, its own peculiar vocabulary, rights, dignities, etc., 
etc., amongst our ancestors, doubtless obtains amongst us, a 
very short reference to Ancient Falconry must here suffice. I 
cannot, however, well help recollecting in the City of Gloucester, 
that King John, a great falconer, once sent his falconer, who 
bore the name of Hawkinus de Haw-ville (of which more anon) 
to Gloucester for the purpose, not then of using, but of moult- 
ing or mewing his falcons when the time for shedding their 
feathers had arrived. Moulting is a long and tedious and 
dangerous process in the case of most trained hawks, and 
specially in the case of that noble friend and companion of 
nobles in all ages—the Peregrine falcon—the most docile and 
useful by far of all hawks ever known to man. In short, the 
only real fault that can be alleged against this hawk is the fact 
that she is a slow and bad moulter, apparently even in a 
wild state. Mews, though now the designation of stables in 
London, were anciently the places of abode of falcons under- 
going their annual process of moult, extending over 5 months, 
and the professional falconers, valets, and servants of their. 
owners employed in caring for them. King John sent his 
servant to Gloucester, armed with a rescript to the Sheriff of 
Gloucester, to provide proper food, lodging, and maintenance 
for him, his men, and his hawks; and oddly enough some of 
them are mentioned by name! viz., the King’s Gire (Jer) falcon, 
“Le Refus” (so called doubtless from her propensity to refuse 
to fly at the desired game: a propensity common to Jerfalcons 
of the present day); “ Black-man,” and “ The foolish falcon.” 
Oddly enough, too, the old family of Hawkins, of the Haw, near 
Tewkesbury, have long been famous sportsmen, though I have 
never heard of their being falconers of late years. 
From the days of King John to the present time is a long 
interval indeed ; but a remarkable succession of falconers from 
father to son, for many generations, occurs in the ancient 
Scottish family of the Flemings, of Barochan Tower, in 
