CHASE OF THE WILD RED DEER 25 



over, either for that he leaveth off from hunting, as 

 being weary, or for that he cannot recover him, and 

 because that such a hart hath shewed the king 

 pastime for his dehght, and is also, as Buda^us saith, 

 eximius cervus, — a goodly hart ; and therefore the 

 king would have him preserved to return to the 

 forest again, he doth cause open proclamation to be 

 made in all towns and villages, near unto the place 

 where the same hart is so remaining, that no manner 

 of person or persons shall kill, hurt, hunt, or chase 

 him, but that he shall safely return to such a forest 

 again from whence he came ; and for that cause the 

 king doth appoint certain foresters to harbor the 

 said hart there for a while, and by degrees to bring 

 him into the forest againe ; and then ever after, 

 such a hart is called a hart royall proclaimed ; so 

 note that there are three sorts of harts : — 

 A Hart, 

 A Hart Royall, 

 A Hart Royall proclaimed.' 

 In Devon and Somerset the male deer is still 

 called, for the first year, a calf; in the second year 

 he is termed a knobber, or knobbler, or brocket ; in 

 the third year, a spire or pricket ; in the fourth year, 

 a staggart ; in the fifth, a stag, or warrantable deer ; 

 and at and after six, a stag, or hart. 



