776 MANUAL OF MODERN FARRIERY. 



zabeth, when not disposed to take a part in the chase, fre- 

 quently occupied a station on a high ground to witness the 

 sport. It is recorded that a.d. 1591, this queen spent the 

 afternoon of a day in seeing deer-coursing, from a high turret 

 at Cowdrej Park, the seat of Lord Montacute, from whence she 

 saw sixteen bucks (all having fair law given to them) pulled 

 down by greyhounds. From the predilection this princess 

 had for coursing, it attained a high degree of fashion and 

 celebrity during her reign ; and certain laws, drawn up at 

 her suggestion by the Duke of Norfolk, were established by 

 her, and generally acceded to by the principal nobility and 

 gentry of the time who were addicted to the amusement. 

 These laws are the basis of all the regulations which have 

 since been adopted in coursing ; and are still resorted to in 

 cases where judgment is to be given, and a decision required. 

 It was the province of the f enter er, who let loose the grey- 

 hounds, to receive those that were matched together into a 

 leash so soon as they came into the field, and to follow close 

 upon the hare-finder, or him that was to start the hare, until 

 he came to the form ; and no horseman, or any one on foot, 

 was allowed to go before, or on either side, but immediately 

 behind, and at not less than forty yards' distance. 

 The following are the different heads of this law : — 



1. No hare to be coursed with more than a brace of grey- 

 hounds. 



2. The hare-finder to give three sohos before he put her 

 from her form, that the dogs might have notice to attend to 

 her being started. 



8. The hare to have law of twelve score yards before the 

 greyhounds were loosed, unless the small distance between 

 the hare and the covert would not admit it without danger 

 of immediately losing her. 



4. The dog that gave the first turn won, if, during the 

 course, there was neither cote, slip, nor winch. 



