HA WKS AND HA WRING IN ESSEX. 45 



Avarrens on which they got their Hving, and showed excellent sport 

 when flown at with a cast of falcons ; sometimes, as Sir Anthony 

 Weldon relates, mounting to such a height, that both hawk and 

 quarry disappeared from view. King James lost a valuable hawk in 

 this way once, while kite-hawking at Royston. 



It would be interesting to know whether any record has been pre- 

 served of the sport obtained with the hawks at Thorndon, and up to 

 what date they were maintained there. Having the honour to know 

 the present (as well as the late) Lord Petre, I ventured to inquire for 

 information on this subject, but without success, although his lordship 

 is under the impression that some account of hawking at Thorndon 

 was published in one of the earlier volumes of the Gentleman^ s 

 Magazine. A recent search, however, through several volumes has 

 not brought it to light. 



It may be worth mention here that a notable book on hawking 

 has been written and pubhshed by an Essex man. It is entitled. 

 An Approved Treatise of Haivks and Haivking, 1619, by Edmund 

 Bert, gentleman, who resided at Collier Row, near Romford, and 

 was very successful in training the Goshawk. In his prefatory 

 remarks to the friendly reader he says : — " In truth I have not kept 

 any hawke above three yeares, but I have put them off for much 

 money, besides many thanks and much love. I had for a Goshawk 

 and a Tarsell a hundred marks, both solde to one man within sixteen 

 months." 



