The hoohe of Hunting 6^ 



and branches, all the yeare long, excepting foure moneths, which 

 are Marche, Aprill, May, and lune, in whiche time they mewe 

 their heades, and beare their veluet and bloudy heades: and 

 therfore in that feafon there is no greate iudgement to be had : 

 but when their heads beginne to harden, you may iudge by the 

 bearing downe or breaking of the braunches and boughes, vntill 

 they haue mewed agayne, for afmuche as when they enter into 

 the thickets, they lift vp their heades and feare not to breake and 

 beare downe the braunches, and thereby the huntefman may take 

 knowledge : but when the Hartes haue fofte heades or in bloud, 

 you can take fmall iudgement bycaufe they couche tlieir heades 

 lowe and flat vpon their backe for feare leafl they fhould knocke 

 them agaynft the boughes, and fo hurte them. When the Huntef- 

 man fliall fee that the Harte hath his heade harde and foomed, 

 and that iudgement may be giuen by the entries where they go 

 into the thickets, let him then looke well therevnto, and efpecially 

 in great fprings, whiche haue not bene felled in eight or ten yeares 

 before, and he fliall fee therein by the pathes whiche the Hartes 

 do make, that the braunches and boughes are bowed and broken 

 or borne downe on bothe fides, and by marking the bredth of 

 the fayd entrie, he may iudge whether it were a broade open 

 head or not : and if there be any place of thicke where the Harte 

 hath ray fed his head vpright altogether, or that he flayed to bar- 

 ken (for lightly when they harken, they rayfe theyr heades and fet 

 vp theyr eares) then may the Huntefman linde percafe fome bro- 

 ken branches, or fome brufed boughes, wherby he may iudge the 

 length and height of the beame, and the height of the Hartes head. 



Of the iudgement of the gate and goyng 

 of an Harte. Chap. 25- 



BY the gate and goyng of an Harte the Huntefman may know 

 if he be great and long and whether he will ftande long vp 

 before his houndes or not : for all Hartes which haue a long ftep or 

 pace, will longer ftand vp than they which haue a fliorte fteppe, and 

 alfo they are fwifter, lighter, and better breathed: alsoy® Hart which 



leaueth 



