The boohe of Hunting 6^ 



the heele whiche muft be great and large, and the little clifFe or flit 

 which is in the midft therof and feparateth the two clawes, muft 

 be large and wide open, the Icgge great, the bones fliort, thicke, 

 and not fliarpe, the toes round and great : commonly the great olde 

 Hartes be low ioynted, and do neuer treade double or falfly, 

 bicaufe the Sinewes whiche hold the ioyntes of their feete and 

 clawes, are well ren forced, and do better holde tacke with the 

 weyght of their bodie, than the yong Hartes do, for their fmewes 

 and ioyntes are weake, and are not yet come to their force : and 

 therefore they are not able to fuftayne the weight of their bodies, 

 in fuche forte that fometimes the fbote and the clawes are 

 forced to tread awry and to double, and thereby you may iudge 

 them yong Hartes. Furthermore the old Hartes when they 

 walke, do neuer ouerreache the fbrefoote with the hinderfbote, 

 but treade ftiorte of it by foure fingers breadth at the leaft, the 

 whiche the yong Hartes do not, for in their gate the hinder foote 

 ouerreacheth the forefoote, lyke vnto a Mule or Hackney whiche 

 ambleth : hollow footed Hartes (if other fignes be not contra- 

 rie) may be iudged olde Hartes : they whiche haue an highe 

 and fofte pace, in places where there are not many ftones, are 

 iudged thereby to bee ftrong, and that they haue not bene much 

 runne nor chafed. And here you mufte vnderftand, that there 

 is greate difference betweene the iudgementes of an hartes Slot, 

 and of an Hynde : Neuerthelefle when the Hyndes be with 

 Calfe, a yong hunter might foone be beguyled, bycaufe they 

 open their clawes wide lyke vnto an Harte, by reafon of the 

 weightinefle of their bodies, and yet the differences are apparant. 

 For if you marke the heele of an Hynde you fliall perceyue 

 that there is no Harte of the fecond heade fo yong, which 

 leaueth not a greater and wyder flotte than flie doeth, and 

 therewithal! the bones will appeare greater alfo: herewithall, 

 Hyndes haue commonly theyr foote long, ftreyght, and 

 hollowe, with little fliarpe cuttyng bones, otherwyfe alfo 

 you may iudge the Hynde by hyr feede, bycaufe fliee crop- 

 peth the fprings rounde lyke an Oxe and feedeth greedily : and 

 contrarily the Harte of tenne dothe take it delicately, breaking 



it of 



