FALCONRY. 289 



his hobby: "And first, for the element that 

 I used to trade in is the air an element of more 

 worth than weight an element that doubtless ex- 

 ceeds both the earth and the water ; for though I 

 sometimes deal in both, yet the air is most properly 

 mine I and my hawks use that most, and it yields 

 us most recreation ; it stops not the high soaring 

 of my noble generous falcon, in it she ascends to 

 such a height, as the dull eyes of beasts and fish 

 are not able to reach to their bodies are too gross 

 for such elevations : in the air my troops of hawks 

 soar up on high, and when they are lost in the 

 sight of men, then they attend upon and converse 

 with the gods ; therefore, I think my eagle is so 

 justly styled Jove's servant in ordinary : and that 

 very falcon, that I am now going to see, deserves 

 no meaner title, for she usually in her flights en- 

 dangers herself, like the son of Daedalus, to have 

 her wings scorched by the sun's heat, she flies so 

 near it, but her mettle makes her careless of dan- 

 ger ; for she then heeds nothing, but makes her 

 nimble pinions cut the fluid air, and so makes her 

 high way over the steepest mountains and deepest 

 rivers, and in her glorious career looks with con- 

 tempt upon those high steeples and magnificent 

 palaces which we adore and wonder at ; from which 

 height I can make her to descend by a word from 

 my mouth, (which she both knows and obeys,) to 

 accept of meat from my hand, to own me for her 

 master, and to go home with me, and be willing 

 the next day to afford me the like recreation." 

 Walton, who seems to have been almost as conver- 



