ANCIENT FALCONRY 



HAWKING, according to Beckman, was known to the 

 Greeks and Romans. Its origin in England, however, 

 cannot be traced till the reign of King Ethelbert, in the 

 year 760, when that Saxon monarch sent to Germany for 

 a brace of falcons. 



In the reign of James I Sir James Monson is said to 

 have given a thousand pounds for a " cast " of falcons. 



In Edward Ill's reign it was made felony to " steal " 

 a hawk, while to take the eggs of a falcon, or hawk, even 

 in one's own grounds, was punishable with imprisonment 

 for one year and a day, together with a fine at the king's 

 pleasure. 



In olden times the custom of carrying a hawk on the 

 wrist was confined to men of high distinction, and it was 

 formerly a saying among the Welsh " You may know a 

 gentleman by his hawk, horse and greyhound." Even 

 ladies in those days indulged in the sport of falconry, and 

 have been represented in sculpture with a falcon on hand. 



In Bewick's British Birds (vol. i, p. 26), it is recorded 

 that a falcon, belonging to a Duke of Cleves, flew out of 

 Westphalia into Prussia in one day ; and in the county of 

 Norfolk a peregine falcon made a flight of nearly thirty 

 miles, at a woodcock, within one hour. 



From Rees' Cyclopcedia, we read and accept cum 

 grano salis that some of the larger species of hawks were 

 trained to fly at the wild boar and wolf. " With this 

 view," says Rees, "they [the hawks], should be accus- 

 tomed to feed, when young, out of the sockets of the eyes, 



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