18 England's oldest hunt. 



In the " Gentleman's Recreation," published in 1667 by 

 Nicholas Cox, there are instructions in detail on the pursuit 

 of the fox in this manner. Terriers were to be entered to 

 the sport by taking an old fox or badger, cutting away its 

 lower jaw, and then placing him in an earth, the terriers being 

 urged in to the quarry. Occasionally all the animal's teeth 

 were broken, so that the young dogs should not be bitten 

 at the outset of their career and thus ruined for further work. 



In another old sporting book, " The Compleat Sportsman,' 

 published so late as 1762, we are told : — 



In coursing a fox, no other art is required than standing close 

 (i.e., hidden), and on a clear day wind on the outside of some grove, 

 where you are to expect his coming out, and then give him head enough, 

 otherwise he will turn back to the covert ; for the slowest greyhound 

 will be swift enough to overtake him ; and all the hazard of this course 

 is the spoiling your dog by the fox, which oftentimes happens ; and 

 for this reason j^ou should not run any that are worth much at this 

 chase ; but such that are hard bitten dogs that will seize anything. 



The same authority, who seems to have pretty extensively 

 borrowed from the works of his predecessors, tells us how the 

 fox should be hunted above ground in the same quaint 

 language : — 



To hunt a fox with hounds you must draw about the groves, 

 thickets, and bushes, near villages ; for in such places he lurks to prey 

 upon poultry, etc., but if you can find one it will be necessary to stop 

 up his earth the night before you intend to hunt, and that about mid- 

 night, for then he goes out to prey ; and this must be done by laying 

 two white sticks across in his way which will make him imagine it be 

 some gin or trap laid for him, else they may be stopped up close with 

 black thorns and earth together. The best hunting a fox above ground 

 is in January, February and March, for then you shall see your hounds 

 hunting, and best find his earthing ; and, besides, at those times the 

 fox's skin is best in season. 



He speaks too of the old custom of hunting hounds in 

 leash, as the old song quoted credits the Duke with having 

 done. Each man had his own, or in the case of the pack 

 belonging to the squire, one of the hounds in leash, and 

 they :— 



Let such as you cast off first be old staunch hounds which are 

 sure, and if you hear such a hound call on merrily you may cast off 

 some others to him, and when they run it on the full cry, cast off some 

 of the rest, and thus you shall compleat your pastime. 



