The hooke of Hunting 1 6$ 



before we coulde kill hir, fwymming and vfing all hir crofling 

 and fubtleties in the water. 1 haue dfo feene an Hare runne and 

 ftande vp two houres before a kennell of houndes, and then Ihe 

 hath ftarted and rayfed an other frefhe Hare out of hir forme, 

 and fet hir felfe downe therein. I haue feene other agayne, 

 fwymme ouer two or three waters, the least whereof hath beene 

 fourefcore Taylers yardes ouer. I haue feene fome agayne, 

 whiche being runne well by the fpace of two houres or more, 

 hath crepte vnder the dore of a Sheepecote, and hyd hir felfe a- 

 mongft the sheepe. And I haue feene Hares oftentimes runne 

 into a flocke of flieepe in the fielde when they were hunted, and 

 woulde neuer leaue the flocke, vntill I was forced to couple vp 

 my houndes, and folde vp the fheepe, or fometimes driue them 

 to the Cote : and then the Hare would forfake them, and I vn- 

 coupled my houndes at hir agayne and kylled hir. 



I haue feene that woulde take the grounde like a Coney, 

 (whiche is called goyng to the vault) when they haue beene hun- 

 ted. I haue feene a Hare goe vp by one fide of an hedge, and 

 come downe by that other fide, in fuche fort, that there was no 

 more but the thicknefle of the hedge betweene them. I haue 

 feene an Hare being fore runne, get vp vppon an olde wall fixe 

 foote heigth from the grounde, and fquat or hyde hir felfe in the 

 hole that was made for a ScaiFolde. I haue feene fome 

 fwymme ouer a brooke eyght yardes broade, more than twentie 

 times within the length of an hundreth paces, and that in my 

 fighte. For thefe caufes the huntefman muft be warye and cir- 

 cumfped: in hunting of the Hare. For a hounde whiche is a per- 

 fect good Haryer, may be bolde to hunte any chace ; for the Hare 

 is the verie proper beaste to enter houndes well, and to make 

 them tender nofed. But afterwardes when you woulde 

 make your houndes to the Harte, they will quickly forfake the 

 Hare, bycaufe the venyfon of an Harte is muche more delicate 

 and deyntie than the Hares is : and houndes do muche more de- 

 sire it, bycaufe the Harte is also of greater fent than the Hare. 

 An Hare lyueth not aboue feuen yeares at the mofte, efpecially 

 the Bucke. They are of this propertie, that if there be a Bucke 



and 



