The hoohe of Hunting 171 



to call on frefhiy, then lette him comforte them with woordes, 

 and name that hounde whiche hunteth befte, as to fay : Hyke a 

 Fyndall^ Hyke^ &c. It is mofte certayne that houndes will haue 

 better fente of an Hare when fhee goeth towardes the reliefe, 

 than when fliee goeth towardes hyr Forme, yea although fliee 

 go fooner to the one than to that other : and the reafon is, that 

 when a Hare is in the fielde and relieueth, fhee coucheth lowe 

 vppon the ground e with hyr bodie, and passeth oftentymes 

 ouer one plotte of grounde to feeke good feede, whereby fliee lea- 

 ueth greate Sente of hyr vppon the grafle or blades, and cro- 

 teyeth alfo fometimes : and therefore the houndes haue greater 

 fente of hir, than they haue when fhe goeth out of the field (or out 

 of the corne or high graffe at leafl) to go to hir Forme : For when 

 file goeth to hir Forme, fhe doth commonly beate the high wayes 

 (as beforefaid) doubling, croffing, and leaping, as lightly as fhe can. 

 Therfore when a huntfman feeth his hounds crofTe where a Hare 

 hath relieued, and that they begin alfo to make it on vnto hir going 

 out towardes hir Forme, let him fuffer his houndes to hunt fayre 

 and foftly, and haften them not ouermuch for ouerfhooting of it : 

 and if his houndes fall at default, then is it a token that the Hare 

 hath made fome double or fome crofle, or that fhe hath gone and 

 come backe agayne by one felfe fame way : then fhall he crie. 

 Haw agayne^ agayne here^ HaWy and fliall not flyrre any furder 

 forwardes, for if he come too neare the houndes, it woulde rather 

 make them to ouerfhoote it : but let him fo ftay them and make 

 them beate for it, comforting and chearyng them with wordes 

 and with his voyce, and beholding how they hunte and beate for it. 

 But if they cannot make it out vpon the high ways, then let him 

 call rounde about in the frefliefl and greenefl places, and fuch as 

 are moft commodious for the houndes to take fente vpon, for by 

 that meanes at laft he fhall make it out whiche way the Hare is 

 gone into fome groue or fpryng : and then his houndes may alfo 

 beate the groues, and he himself muft likewise beate the tuffts 

 and bufhcs with his hunting flicke, to heipe the houndes to flarte 

 hyr. And if he chaunce to finde an olde Forme, he mufle take 

 fome rewarde out of his wallet and cafte it in the fayde olde 



forme, 



