EOYAL HARTS. 27 



If the impression of a deer's foot measures full two inches 

 -at the heel, he is warrantable; if three inches, and the hoofs 

 mark deeply in the ground, allowing for its nature, he is a 

 large, heavy, old deer. Such bring up their hind feet to 

 the impression made by their fore ones. 



The tread of a hind is much narrower and longer than 

 that of the male, particularly at the toe, whilst the hart's is 

 broad and round at that point, instead of being narrow. 



" Then, if he ask, what slot or view I found, 

 I say the slot or view was long on ground ; 

 The toes were great, the joynt bones round and short, 

 The shinne bones large, the dew-claws close in port : 

 Short joynted was he, hollow-footed eke, 

 An hart to hunt as any man can seeke." Art of Venerie. 



The mark of a deer's tread is called his slot; his haunt 

 is termed his lair; where he lies down, his harbour or bed; 

 where he rolls himself, his soiling pool; his breaking place 

 over a hedge, his rack; when he goes to water it is called 

 going to soil ; if headed back, it is called blanched ; if he 

 stops in a river, or lies down in a pool, during the chase, it 

 is called sinking himself. 



Harts that are crowned with three points at the upper 

 extremity of each horn are termed royal. 



We read, also, of the hart royal proclaimed. Manwood 

 mentions a fact, which he found on record in the Castle 

 of Nottingham : it is dated in the time of Richard I., who, 

 having roused a hart in the forest of Sherwood, pursued 

 him as far as Barnsdale in Yorkshire, w r here the animal 

 foiled and escaped his hounds. The king, in gratitude for 

 the diversion he had received, ordered him to be immediately 

 proclaimed at Tickill, and at all the neighbouring towns, 

 the purport of which was to forbid any one to molest him, 

 that he might have free liberty to return to his forest. 



" Some gentlemen, in the time of Henry III., having 

 destroyed a white hart, which had given the king much 

 diversion (and which had probably been proclaimed), his 

 majesty laid a heavy fine upon their lands, an acknowledg- 

 ment of which was paid into the exchequer so late as the 

 reign of Queen Elizabeth."* 



* Cam. Brit. p. 59. 



