i^o The hoohe of Hunting 



before the houndes, then when foeuer you fhould hallowe, the 

 houndes would do nothing but lifte vp their heades, and looke 

 alwayes to fee the Hare before the Greyhoundes, and will neuer 

 put nofe to the grounde, nor beate for it, nor hunte. But your 

 bell entryng of yong houndes, is by the helpe of old fteynche 

 houndes, whiche may beft learne to caft for it at a doublyng or 

 default. 



At what time of the yeare it is beft hunting of 



the Hare, and how to feeke hir, ftarte 



hir, and chace hir. Chap. 61 



THe beft feafon to hunte the Hare with houndes, is to beginne 

 in the middeft of September, and to leaue at midde Apryll : 

 and that, bycaufe of the flowers and vehement heates whiche 

 beginne after Apryll, and take away the fente of the Hare 

 from the houndes. Then in September the Huntefman fliall 

 beginne to gyue rewards vnto his Haryers, and to renew their 

 huntyng of that chace. For (as I haue fayde) at that tyme. 

 Hares be yong and feeble, and as the feafon pafleth, fo theyr 

 force encreafeth : euen fo your houndes the more that they hunte, 

 and the more quareys that they haue, the better, ftronger, and 

 perfeder they become. And agayne when the winter approch- 

 eth, the moyftneffe and coolenefle of the earth encreafeth, the 

 which houndes do delight in rather than in great heate. When 

 your houndes are twoo yeares olde and vpwardes, you may 

 hunte with them thryce in a weeke, and they will be the better. 

 When a Lorde or Gentleman will go on huntyng, the huntef- 

 man mufte regarde the tyme and place where he fliall be, to the 

 ende he may go feeke the Hare where mofte lykely huntyng is : 

 as in the Paftures, Meades, or Greene fieldes, and fuche lyke : 

 and there he fliall vncouple his houndes : and if there be any 

 hounde whiche light vppon the trayle of an Hare, where fliee 

 hath relieued that night, lette the Huntefman ftaye and be not 

 ouer haftie, vntill the houndes make it out of themfelues, and 

 when he perceyueth that they beginne to drawe in together and 



to 



