The boohe of Hunting 145 



do loue to keepe company euer after. Some Row doe hath bin 

 killed with fiue fawnes in hyr bodie at once, which is a ftrange 

 thing in fo imal a bcaft. And here I thought good to note vnto 

 you that a fawne of a Rowe, is called the firil yeare a Kidde : the 

 fecond a Gyrle : the third yeare an Hemufe : the fourth a Rowe 

 bucke of the firft head : and the fifth yeare a Rowebucke and no 

 more. Aflbone as a Rowebucke commeth from Rut he cafteth his 

 homes, and few of them after they be pafte two yeares olde, do 

 fayle to mew at Alhollantide : their heades grow out againe ve- 

 ry quickly for they fray them commonly in March : you may hunt 

 him at all times alike, for his venyfon is neuer fat, nor neuer out 

 of feafon : they hide their heads in mofTe, when they haue caft and 

 mewed them : all the fauour that flioulde be fliewed vnto the 

 Rowe deare, is vnto the Does when they are with fawne, and 

 vntil their fawnes be able to liue without them. They make mar- 

 uelous good chafe and ftand vp long, and flee farre endwaycs, 

 and their fltflie is good meate : you Ihall hardly know them ey- 

 ther by their foote or fewmettes : they fee not very perfectly, nor 

 beare any great venifon : that is to fay, they be not very fat, vn- 

 lelTe it be inwards : their kidneyes will fomctimes be hidde with 

 fat, and then are they in great pryde of greace. When they are 

 hunted they turne much and come often directly backe vpon the 

 dogges, and when they may no more endure, they flee to the wa- 

 ter, and beate the water like an Harte, wherein they will hang 

 by fome bough all vnder the water but their very fnowte, and wil 

 neuer ftirre vntill a man or a hounde come euen vpon them : he 

 keepeth in the ftrong thickets, and commonly in the highefl: 

 groundes : fometimes alfo in the playnes but that very feldome. 

 The Rut of a Rowe deare is properly (amongft hunters) cal- 

 led his turne, as to fay the Rowe goeth in his Toume. His crof- 

 fmgs and doublings before the houndes are called Trafo- 

 n'lngs. He is not called a greate Rowebucke, but a fayre Row- 

 bucke : the heard of them is called a Beauie : if he haue Beauie 

 greace vpon his tayle when you breake him vp, then is he veni- 

 fon : otherwife he is meeter for to be giuen whole to the houndes 

 than to be drefled for your diflie : the hounds mufte be rewarded 



with 



