CHAPTER III. 



Cf)e %utitttg Crcateli. 



N the rude civiiifation of the fifteenth century, a year's 

 experience of which would fend moft of us to our 

 graves, the mental occupation as well as the bodily 

 recreation of our anceflors was almoft confined to 

 hunting and hawking. " Fifhing with an Angle" 

 came in as a bad third, being too tame a purfuit for men who were 

 no men if not men of war. Mimic war — war on the beafts of the 

 field and the fowls of the air — war which could be purfued in times 

 of peace, and which yet required knowledge, patience, fortitude, and 

 courage — this had great attractions, and we cannot wonder at the 

 general popularity of thefe purfuits. 



The firfl treatife in the following reprint is upon Hawking, a 

 paftime effentially ariftocratic from the great expenfe it entailed in 

 the purchafe, breeding, and maintenance of the birds. This, indeed, 

 coupled with the diminution of game confequent on the progrefs of 

 civiiifation and the increafe of the population, led to the gradual 

 decadence of the fport, and nearly to its extindlion in the eighteenth 

 century, although, in very rare cafes, falconry is even now practifed. 



As we have feen, one of the moft difficult objedls in hawking 

 was to obtain an eafy command of the proper vocabulary, and fo at 

 firil ftart our author inftru6ls us in " The manner to fpeak of Hawks, 

 from the egg." We mufl not fay a young hawk is hatched, but 



