OF THE HARBOURER. 51 



upon the faithfulness and accuracy with which he 

 carries out a most arduous work — one entaihng the 

 utmost skill in venery, and the deepest knowledge 

 of the habits of the deer — only those can realise who 

 can recall the few — very few — days when Fred Goss 

 or his predecessor, Andrew Miles, have been, from 

 stress of weather or other causes, unable to harbour 

 a stag, and we have spent the day drawing covert 

 after covert and finding nothing fit to hunt, only to 

 learn afterwards that there were several good deer in 

 the very woods we did not happen to draw. 



As far back as the old books go the harbourer's 

 work was estimated of the first importance, and 

 lengthy treatises have been written in many languages 

 setting out his duties, and how they should be per- 

 formed. All which rules and advice are as true and 

 as applicable to-day as when they were written. 



It is a remarkable thing that the earliest treatise 

 on stag-hunting in the English language was written 

 for the express purpose of instructing the Prince of 

 Wales by Edward Plantagenet, Duke of York, who in 

 right of his wife, Philippa Mohun of Dunster, was 

 Lord of the Manor of Cutcombe, and was also the 

 King's Chief Forester for all Forests South of the 

 Trent. The " Master of Game " contains no fewer 

 than seven chapters on the art of harbouring in all 

 possible circumstances, and in all possible places, 

 and only devotes two chapters to the subsequent 

 hunting of the stag. 



In only two respects do our harbourers differ in 



E 2 



