122 The hooke of Hunting 



tilties you may iudge eafily that they are olde beaten Deare, and 

 wel breathed, and wil ftand long vp before your hounds, truft- 

 ing much in their force and fwiftneffe : for a huntefman may eafily 

 know when a Harte is fpent in deede, and when hebeginneth to 

 finke and will not long holde vp, by diuers tokens. Firft if he 

 neyther regard, heare nor fee any man or any thing before him 

 when the houndes runne him : or if he beare his head lowe, put- 

 ting his nofe downe to the ground e, and reele or folter with his 

 legges, fliewyng how feeble he is in deede, or if he efpie a man 

 before him, he rayfeth vp his head, and maketh great boundes and 

 leapes on heigth as though he were luftie and freflie (as I haue 

 fayde heretofore) but fuch frifkes will not laft long : for when he 

 is a little paft by, he will ftretche out his necke agayne and hold 

 downe his head and will reele and wallow as before fayde. Or 

 els likewife you may know when a Deare is fpent, if his mouth 

 and throte be blacke and drie without any froth or fome vpon it, 

 and his tongue hangyng out: likewife by his Slot or view 

 where you finde it, for oftentimes he will clofe his clawes to- 

 gethers as if he went at leyfure, and flreight way agayne will 

 open them and ftray them wyde, making great glydings, and 

 hitting his dewclawes vpon the grounde, or his fhanke bones 

 fometimes, and will commonly followe the beaten pathes and 

 wayes, and neuer double nor crofTe but verie little. And if he 

 come to a hedge or a dytch, he will goe all alongft to feeke fome 

 brack or beaten leape, bicaufe he hath not force to leape it round- 

 ly of him felfe. By all thefe tokens you may know when a deare 

 is fpent and readie to fall. Thus will I ende this chapter, pray- 

 ing all expert huntfmen and mafters of Venerie to hold me ex- 

 cufed, if I haue ouerfkipped, or left out any thing meete to be 

 fet downe, for as much as it is hard for any man to fet down fo 

 wel in writing, as he might put it in execution. But always re- 

 member that the Arte it felfe requireth great fkyll, wit, and pol- 

 licie, in a huntfman : and that he gouerne him felfe according to 

 the varietie of occafions, and according to the prefumptions that 

 he fhall fee in the Deares wyles and fubtleties, therewithal that 

 he haue refped: to the goodnefle or imperfedion of the houndes, 



and 



