i 4 4 SHAKESPEARE'S [HART. 



beast, by the King's or Queen's hunting, be chased out of 

 the forest, and so escape, proclamation is commonly made 

 in the places thereabout, that in regard of the pastime that 

 the beast hath showed to the King or Queen, none shall 

 hurt him or hinder him from returning to the forest ; and 

 then is he a Hart Royal Proclaimed. 



Minsheus Dictionary, s.v. 



Harts be enemies to serpents ; which when they feel 

 themselves grieved with sickness, they draw them with 

 breath of their nostrils out of their dens, and, the malice 

 of the venom overcome, they are repaired with feeding of 

 them. And they taught first the virtue of the herb 

 Dittany, for they eat thereof, and cast out arrows and 

 arrow-heads, when they be wounded of hunters. And they 

 wonder of noise of pipes, and have liking in accord of 

 melody, and they hear well when they rear up their ears, 

 and bear down the ears when they swim and pass rivers 

 and great waters. And then in swimming the stronger 

 swim tofore, and the feebler lay their heads upon the loins 

 of the stronger. And the Hart is most pleasing beast, 

 and runneth wilfully and fleeth to a man when he is over- 

 set with hounds. [And in rutting time] the males wax 

 cruel, and dig up clods and stones with their feet, and then 

 their snouts be black until they be washed with rain. 

 [And after the female has calved] the male eateth busily ; 

 and when he feeleth himself too fat, he seeketh dens and 

 lurking-places, for he dreadeth damage and harm by heavi- 

 ness of body. And when the Hart casteth his right horn, 

 for envy he hideth it, and is sorry if any man hath medi- 

 cine thereof. Serpents flee and avoid the odour and smell 

 of burning of an Hart's horn. His rennet is good against 

 all biting of serpents. Also the Hart's blood and hare's 

 blood congealeth never. And the Hart roareth, cryeth and 

 weepeth when he is taken. And when the Hind feeleth 

 heaviness, she swalloweth a stone, and is holpen by virtue 

 of that Stone. Bartholomew (Bertbelet), bk. xviii. 30. 



GIVE the bone of a Hart's heart, ground, to a barren 

 woman in drink, and thou shalt see the glory of God. 



Batman's addition to Bartholomew, bk. xviii. 30. 



