Ths boohe of Hunting 103 



couple the reft, and blowe to them. For if he fliould caft off his 

 Relay a farre oft, the hounds might hunt counter, which would 

 be a great fault. And alfo if the Hart be accompanyed with any 

 other Deare, then the pricker on horlebacke muft ryde full in the 

 face of him, to trie if he can part them or not, and if he can parte 

 them, then may he vncouple the houndes vpon the viewe. And if 

 a pricker on horfebacke chaunce to be at relaye on the fide of a 

 poole or water, and fee the Harte make towardes it, he flioulde 

 fuffer him to goe to foyle therein his fill, and neuer blowe nor 

 make noyfe : then when he commeth out, he may let the Varlet 

 goe with the houndes vnto the place where he came out, and vn- 

 couple the houndes vpon the viewe as before faide. And he muft 

 neuer abandon them, blowing after them to call in ayde, and 

 brufyng the grounde or making markes al the waye as hee 

 goeth, bicaufe if the houndes flioulde hunte chaunge, or fcatter 

 and ftray from the right wayes, then may they returne to the laft 

 marke, and fo feeke againe the firft chace. 



Phoebus fayeth, that you muft rate the houndes which come 

 farre behynde when the Harte is paft the Relaye. But for my 

 parte, I am of a contrarie mynde. For as muche as the houndes 

 of the Crye which haue alredie hunted long time, do better kepe 

 their true tracke and do not fo foone chaunge, as the frefti hounds 

 which are newly caft off" at the Relayes. True it is, that if there 

 be any olde houndes which come behynde plodding after the 

 Crye, then the prickers on horfebacke, or the Varlets which tarie 

 behinde, maye call them after them, and leade them before the 

 crye againe. Or elfe if you haue neede of more Relayes, and 

 that you perceiue the Hart bendeth towardes a coaft where there 

 is not muche chaunge, and that he fliould be forced to turn backe 

 againe the fame way : and alfo that there be good houndes ynow 

 before to mainteine the chafe, then may you take vp the hinder- 

 moft houndes and keepe them frefli for his returne : and if perad- 

 uenture it happen that the pricker on horfebacke being at his re- 

 laye, fliould fee an Hart of tenne pafle by him, and yet heare not 

 the other huntfmen, nor their homes, then let him lookewel whe- 

 ther the Hart be emboft or not, and what houndes they were that 



TVRB. vEK. I came 



