THE fefcEYHOttND. 129 



Ancient mode of coursing. 



the hare. The two former are not practised at 

 present, but the coursing of deer was a recreation 

 formerly in high esteem, and was divided into 

 two sorts ; the paddock, and the forest, or pur- 

 lieu. For the paddock-coursing, besides the 

 greyhounds, which never exceeded two, and for 

 the most part consisted of one brace, there was 

 the teazel, or mongrel greyhound, whose business 

 it was to drive the deer forward before the real 

 greyhounds were slipt. The paddock was a 

 piece of ground generally taken out of a park, 

 and enclosed with pales, or a wall ; it was a mile 

 in length, and about a quarter of a mile in 

 breadth, but the further end was always broader 

 than that which the dogs started from, the better 

 to accommodate the company in seeing which dog 

 won the match. At the hither end was the dog- 

 house (to enclose the dogs that were to run the 

 course), which was attended by two men, one of 

 whom stood at the door to slip the dogs, the 

 other was a little without the door, to let loose 

 the teazer to drive away the deer. The pens for 

 the deer intended to be coursed, were on one 

 side, with a keeper or two to turn them out; on 

 the other side, at some distance, stood the spec- 

 tators. Along the course were placed posts. 

 The first, which was next the dog-house and 

 pens, was the law-post, and was distant from 

 them one hundred and sixty yards. The second 

 was the quarter of a mile, the third the half mile, 

 the fourth the pinching-post, and the fifth marked 



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