1 64 The booie of Hunting 



and efpecially a female Hare, (if a huntefman doe marke the firft 

 waye.that fhe bendeth, or the firfte compafle that fhe bendeth 

 when fhe parteth firft from the forme) will all the daye long 

 holde the fame wayes, and cafb about the same coaftes, and pafTe 

 through the same mufes vntill hir death or efcape : vnlelTe it be 

 as 1 fayde, fome Bucke which be come from some other place, 

 or that the houndes runne him fo harde, that he be enforced to 

 make out endwayes before the houndes, and fo to goe out of his 

 haunt, the which they will all do commonly, by that time that 

 they be well runne two houres without default. But at the 

 fyrft they will doe (in manner) nothing elfe but turne, crofle, and 

 double, pafling fyue or fixe tymes one waye, and in one felfe 

 fame path. And you muft vnderftande, that if you leese an Hare 

 at any time, let the huntefmen yet remember and marke whiche 

 pathes fhe bette, and what way fhe coafled ; for another time if 

 you finde the fame Hare, fhe will doubtlefle keepe the fame pla- 

 ces, and make the like doublings, croflings, &c. And by that 

 meanes you fhall preuent hir fubtletie, and much help the hounds 

 in knowing which way fhe will bend. 



I haue feene a Hare fo craftie, that as foone as fhe heard the 

 founde of an home, fhe woulde ryfe out of hir forme, yea, had 

 file beene formed a quarter of a myle dyflant from the huntef- 

 man that blewe, and woulde flreyght wayes goe fwymme in 

 fome poole, and abyde in the middefl thereof vpon fome rufhbed, 

 before the houndes came at hir, or hunted hir at all. But at the 

 laft I difcouered hir fubtleties, for I went clofe alongeft by the 

 poole, to fee what might become of hir, and vncoupled my houn- 

 des there about es where I fufpecSted fhe fliould be : and as foone 

 as euer flie hearde the home, flie flarte, and leapt before my face 

 into the poole, and fwomme to another bed in the midfl thereof, 

 and neyther with flone nor clodde that I coulde throwe at hir, 

 woulde fhe ryfe nor flyrre, vntyll I was fayne to ftryppe 

 oiF my clothes, and fwymme to hir : yea, and fhe taryed me 

 almofle, vntyll I layde my hande vppon hir, before fliee 

 woulde flyrre. But at the laft, flie fwomme out and came 

 by the houndes, and floode vppe afterwardes three houres 



before 



