The Sport of Our <Jfncestors 



noble and manly nature than that of the present day. The 

 wolf, the bear, the boar, were among the favourite beasts 

 of ' venery ' ; and none can doubt that the habit of pursuing 

 such animals, independently of giving vigour to the frame 

 and strength to the constitution, must have nourished that 

 martial ardour and fearless intrepidity, which, when exerted 

 in the field of battle, generally won the day for our gallant 

 ancestors. The hart, the stag, the hind, the roebuck, and 

 the hare are likewise constantly mentioned, as is also the 

 wild or martin cat, now nearly extinct ; but the fox does 

 not appear to have been included in the list of the Anglo- 

 Norman sportsman. The first public notice of this now 

 much-esteemed animal occurs in the reign of Richard ii., 

 which unfortunate monarch gives permission, by charter, 

 to the abbot of Peterborough to hunt the fox. In Twice 's 

 * Treatise on the Craft oj Hunting ' Reynard is thus classed : — 



' And for to sette young hunterys in the way 

 To venery, I cast me fyrst to go : 

 Of which four bestes be, that is to say. 

 The hare, the herte, the wulf, and the wild boor. 

 But there ben other bestes five of the chase ; 

 The buck the first, the seconde is the do ; 

 The fox the third, which hath ever hard grace ; 

 The forthe the martyn, and the last the roe.' 



It is indeed quite apparent that, until at most a hundred 

 and fifty years ago, the fox was considered an inferior 

 animal of the chace — the stag, buck, and even hare ranking 

 before him. Previously to this period, he was generally 

 taken in nets or hays, set on the outside of his earth : when 

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