The hoohe of Hunting 35- 



WHen the Hunte hath taught his houndes to know and 

 beleeue the hallow, and the found of his home, then 

 the galloppers, prickers, and huntfmen on horfebacke feyng 

 their houndes ftrong enough and aboute feuentene or eightene 

 moneths olde, fliall then beginne to enter and to teach them, and 

 they ilvall haue them a fielde but once a weeke at the mofte, for 

 fearc leait they ihould marre them, for houndes are neuer fuffi- 

 ciently knit in their ioyntes and members vntili they be two 

 yearcs old at the leaft ; and aboue all things whofoeuer would 

 hunte the Harte at force, muft vnderftand three secretes. The 

 firil is that he neuer accuftome his houndes to runne a Hinde, nor 

 giue them any quarrie or rewarde thereof, bycaufe there is differ- 

 ence betwene the fent of a Harte and a Hynde, as you may fee by 

 experience that houndes do oftentimes fingle that one fiom that 

 other : and yet houndes are of fuch nature that the firfb beaft which 

 a man doth enter them at, and that they firft take pleafure in, and 

 haue bene therewith rewarded, they do alwaies remember it moft, 

 and thereby you may be fure that if you giue them rewardes or 

 bring them to the quarrie of a Hynde, they would defire it more 

 than the Harte. The fecond fecrete is, that it is not good to enter 

 yong houndes within a toile, for there a Harte doth nothing but 

 turne and cait aboute, fince he cannot runne endlong, when the 

 houndes are in manner alwayes in fight of him, and if afterwards 

 you fliould runne a Harte (with doggcs fo entred) at force, and 

 out of a toyle, and that the Harte tooke endlong, eloygning him 

 felf from the houndes, they woulde quickly giue him ouer : and 

 yet there is another thing whiche dothe more hurte vnto fuche 

 houndes as are entred into a toyle, for if a Harte do turne two 

 or three times before them, they take afwell the countrie, as the 

 right tracke, breakyng their courfe, and putting themfelues out of 

 breath, and neither learne to hunte nor to queft, nor to do any 

 other thing but rayfe vp their heads ftill to fee y^ Harte. The third 

 fecrete is that you enter not your houndes, nor beginne to teach 

 them in the mornyng if you can chufe, for if a man do firlfe 

 accuftome them to the freflie of the mornyng, if afterwardes they 

 chaunce to Hunte in the heate of the day, they will quickly 



giue 



