Ohfervations &:c, 2^9 



neighbouring Shade. He hath no Relifli at all for Domeftick 

 Pleafures^ and is rarely known to converfe with his Wife, or 

 play with his Children. What he values above all, is his Horfe : 

 for in this he placeth his higheft Satisfaction ; being feldoni well 

 pleafed or in good humour, but when he is far from Home, 

 riding at full Speed and hunting. 



The Arabs, and indeed the eaftern Nations in Eeneral are '^^'r -^.'f'^- 

 certainly very dextrous at this Exercife. I have feen feveral 

 Perfons at Grand Cairo, who could take up a Jerrid, at full 

 Speed, from the Ground: and there are none of them but ^^^'^''":f7 



*• _ _ of the ■aula 



who can quickly hunt down a wild Boar. We have, upon^'*'"* 

 one of the Medallior/s of Con ft antine''s Arch.', a very beautiful 

 Reprefentation of this Sport, as it is performed, to this Day, 

 by the yirahs ; who, after they have rouzed the Beaft from 

 his Retirement and purfued it into fome adjacent Plain, en- 

 deavour there, by frequently overtaking and turning it, to tire 

 and perplex it; and then, watching an Opportunity, either 

 launce it, at fome Diftance, or elfe, coming clofe by it's Side, 

 fix their Spears in it's Body. At the hunting of the Lyon, ^"ndLyo,,. 

 whole Diftri(5t is fummoned to appear ; who, forming them- 

 felves fir ft into a Circle, enclofe a Space of three, four or 

 five Miles in Compafs, according to the Number of the People, 

 and the Quality of the Ground, that is pitched upon for the 

 Scene of thisAdlion. The Footmen advance firft, rufhing into 

 the Thickets, with their Dogs and Spears, to put up the Game ; 

 whilft the Horfemen, keeping a little behind, are always ready 

 to charge, upon the firft Sally of the wild Beaft. In this Man- 

 ner they proceed, ftill contracting their Circle, 'till they all 

 at laft either clofe in together, or meet with fomething to di- 

 vert them. The accidental Paftime upon thefe Occafions is;5^^!"^'^''< 

 fometimes very diverting; for, the feveral different Sorts of '^^o^^'V""'- 

 Animals that lye within this Compafs, being, by this Means, 

 drove together, they rarely fail of having a Variety of agree- 

 able Chaces 2.fx.etHares,'Jackalls,HycenaSy and other wild Beafts '. 



I Vid, Vet. Arcus Auguftorum &c. Tab. i6. 2 We have in the following Lines of 

 Statius (Ach'ill. 1. 4y9.) a beautiful Defcriptionof the like Diverfion. 



-Si curvuferas indago latentes 



Claudit, & admotis patiUtim caffibus arliat. 

 IIU ignem fonitimque pavent, defufaqae linquftnt 

 yiv'Uy miranturqiie fuu7n decrefcere montem. 

 Inque vkem flupuere greges, focioque tiniore 

 Manfuefcunt, ftmul hirtus Aper, fmul Vrfa, Litpufque 

 Cogitur, & captos contemn'tt Cerva Leone s. 



Ffffx It 



