ITS HISTORY. 173 



England, presented to Etlielbert, King of Kent, one hawk 

 and two falcons, and a king of Mercia requested the 

 same Winifred to send to him two falcons trained to kill 

 cranes.* 



To the Eomans this diversion was scarcely known in 

 the days of Vespasian, yet it was introduced soon after. 

 Probably they adopted it from the Britons, but they 

 greatly improved it by the introduction of spaniels into 

 the island. In this state it appeared amongst the Bri- 

 toas in the sixth century. In after times hawking was 

 the chief amusement of the English. A person of rank 

 scarcely stirred without his hawk on his hand, which in 

 old paintings is the criterion of nobility. Even the 

 ladies constantly carried on their gloves the merlin or 

 sparrow-hawk ; and it is mentioned that one of these 

 birds was such a favourite with a bride, that at her 

 nuptials she carried it to the altar. Harold, afterwards 

 king of England, when he went on an embassy into 

 Normandy, is painted embarking with a hawk on his 



* The foUowing superstitious ceremonies are mentioned in a book on 

 falconry, supposed to be in the time of Edward the Confessor : — -After 

 a hawk has been ill, and is sufficiently recovered to pursue the game, 

 the owner has this admonition given to him : " On the morrow tyde, 

 when thou goest oute to hawkj'ing, say, ' In the name of the Lord, the 

 birds of heaven shall be beneath thy feet.' Also, if he be hurt by the 

 heron, say, 'The lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of Da-\^d, has 

 conquered. Hallelujah.' And if he be bitte of any man, say, ' He 

 that the wicked man doth bind, the Lord at his coming shall set 

 free.' " 



t Martial, the Eoman poet, thus alludes to hawking : — 



" Prsedo fuit volucrum, famulus nxmc aucupis ; idem 

 Decipit ; et captas non sibi moret aves : " 



which a learned friend of mine thus translates : — " He was the preyer 

 upon birds, now he is the servant of a fowler, but this same hawk 

 is a deceiver, and regrets that the birds are not caught for himself." 

 N 3 



