The hooke of Hunting 113 



lying flat vpon his belly in fome harde way or drie place, and 

 croffing all his foure feete vnderaeath him, breathing and blow- 

 ing againft the grounde as before faide, or againft the water if 

 he haue taken the foyle in fuch fort, that of all his body you fhal 

 fee nothing but his nofe : and I haue feene diuers lye fo, vntyll 

 the houndes haue bene vpon them before they would ryfe. In 

 thefe cafes the huntefmen muft haue efpeciall regarde to their 

 olde fure houndes, when they perceyue a Deare to feeke the 

 hearde fo, for the olde fure houndes will hunt leyfurely and 

 fearefully, when the rafhe young houndes will ouerflioote it. 

 And therefore neuer regarde the yong houndes but the olde 

 ftanche houndes : and truft in the olde houndes gyuing them 

 ley fure, and being neare them to helpe and comfort them, euer- 

 more blemyfhing as you perceyue and fynde any Slot or view 

 of the Deare that is hunted. 



And if fo chance that the houndes be at default, or that they 

 difTeuer and hunt in two or three fundry companies, then may they 

 geffe thereby that the Hart hath broken heard from the frefli deare, 

 and that the fayd frefli Deare do feparate them felues alfo. And 

 they muft not then truft to a yong hounde (as before fayde) how 

 good fo euer he make it, but they muft regarde which way the 

 old ftanch hounds make it, and make in to them loking vpon the 

 Slot, view, or foyle. And when they haue found the right, and per- 

 ceiuethat the Hart hath broken heard from the other Deare,letthem 

 blemifli there, and blow, and cry. There he goeth^ thats he^ thats he^ 

 to htm^ to h'lm^ naming the hound that goth away with the vaut- 

 chace, and hallowing the reft vnto him. You fliall alfo haue re- 

 gard that hounds can not fo well make it good in the hard high 

 wayes, as in other places, bicaufe they can not there haue fo per- 

 fect fent, and that for diuers caufes. For in thofe high ways there 

 are the tracke and footing of diuers fundry forts of cattell which 

 beate them continually, and breake the ground to duft with their 

 feete in fuche fort, that when the houndes put their nofes to the 

 ground to fent, the pouder and duft fnufteth vp into their nofes, 

 and marres their fent. And againe, the vehement heate of the Sun 

 doth dry vp the moifture of the earth, fo that the duft couereth the 



Slot 



