1 64 The boohe of Hunting 



and efpecially a female Hare, (if a huntefman doe marke the firft 

 waye that flie bendeth, or the lirfbe compafTe that flie bendeth 

 when file parteth firft from the forme) will all the daye long 

 holde the fame wayes, and caft about the same coaftes, and pafle 

 through the same mufes vntill hir death or efcape : vnlefle it be 

 as I fayde, fome Bucke which be come from some other place, 

 or that the houndes runne him fo harde, that he be enforced to 

 make out endwayes before the houndes, and fo to goe out of his 

 haunt, the wliich they will all do commonly, by that time that 

 they be well runne two houres without default. But at the 

 fyrft they will doe (in manner) nothing elfe but turne, croflTe, and 

 double, paffing fyue or fixe tymes one waye, and in one felfe 

 fame path. And you muft vnderftande, that if you leese an Hare 

 at any time, let the huntefmen yet remember and marke whiche 

 pathes file bette, and what way flie coafted : for another time if 

 you finde the fame Hare, flie will doubtlefle keepe the fame pla- 

 ces, and make the like doublings, croffings, &c. And by that 

 meanes you fliall preuent hir fubtletie, and much help the hounds 

 in knowing which way flie will bend. 



I haue feene a Hare fo craftie, that as foone as flie heard the 

 founde of an home, flie woulde ryfe out of hir forme, yea, had 

 flie beene formed a quarter of a myle dyftant from the huntef- 

 man that blewe, and woulde ftreyght wayes goe fwymme in 

 fome poole, and abyde in the middeft thereof vpon fome ruflibed, 

 before the houndes came at hir, or hunted hir at all. But at the 

 laft I difcouered hir fubtleties, for I went clofe alongeft by the 

 poole, to fee what might become of hir, and vncoupled my houn- 

 des there aboutes where I fufpeded flie fliould be : and as foone 

 as euer flie hearde the home, flie ftarte, and leapt before my face 

 into the poole, and fwomme to another bed in the midft thereof, 

 and neyther with ftone nor clodde that I coulde throwe at hir, 

 woulde flie ryfe nor ftyrre, vntyll I was fayne to ftryppe 

 off my clothes, and fwymme to hir : yea, and flie taryed me 

 almofte, vntyll I layde my hande vppon hir, before fliee 

 woulde ftyrre. But at the laft, flie fwomme out and came 

 by the houndes, and ftoode vppe afterwardes three houres 



before 



