408 BATTUE OF THE OLDEN TIME. 



such a place as the noblemen shall appoint them ; then when 

 the day is come, the lords and gentlemen of their com- 

 panies doe ride or go to the said places, sometimes wading 

 up to the middles through bournes and rivers ; and then 

 they being come to the place, doe lye down on the ground 

 till those foresaid scouts, which are called the tinckell, do 

 bring down the deer ; but as the proverb says of a bad 

 cooke, so these Tinckell men doe lick their own fingers ; for 

 besides their bows and arrows, which they carry with them, 

 wee can heare now and then a harquebusse or musket goe 

 off, which they doe seldom discharge in vaine : then after 

 we had stayed three houres, or thereabouts, we might per- 

 ceive the deer appeare on the hills round about us (their 

 heads making a shew like a wood), which, being followed 

 close by the Tinckell, are chased down into the valley 

 where wee lay ; then all the valley on each side being way- 

 laid with a hundred couple of strong Irish greyhounds, 

 they are let loose as occasion serves upon the hearde of 

 deere, that with dogs, gunnes, arrowes, durks, and daggers, 

 in the space of two houres, fourscore fat deere were slaine, 

 which after are disposed of some one way and some another, 

 twenty or thirty miles ; and more than enough left for us 

 to make merrey withall at our rendevouse. Being come 

 to our lodgings, there was such baking, boyling, resting, 

 and stewing, as if cook Kuffian had been there to have 

 scalded the devill in his feathers." 



