The hoohe of Hunting 171 



to call on freflily, then lette him comforte them with woordes, 

 and name that hounde whiche huntcth befte, as to fay : Hyke a 

 Fyvdall^ Hyke^ &c. It is mofte certayne that houndes will haue 

 better fente of an Hare when fliee goeth towardes the reliefe, 

 than when fliee goeth towardes hyr Forme, yea although fliee 

 go fooner to the one than to that other : and the reafon is, that 

 when a Hare is in the fielde and relieueth, fliee coucheth lowe 

 vppon the grounde with hyr bodie, and passeth oftentymes 

 ouer one plotte of grounde to feeke good feede, whereby flice lea- 

 ueth greate Sente of hyr vppon the grafle or blades, and cro- 

 teyeth alfo fometimes : and therefore the houndes haue greater 

 fente of hir, than they haue when flie goeth out of the field (or out 

 of the corne or high graffe at lead) to go to hir Forme : For when 

 file goeth to hir Forme, flie doth commonly beate the high wayes 

 (as beforefaid) doubling, croffing, and leaping, as lightly as flie can. 

 Therfore when a huntfman feeth his hounds croflTe where a Hare 

 hath relieued, and that they begin alfo to make it on vnto hir going 

 out towardes hir Forme, let him fuffer his houndes to hunt fayre 

 and foftly, and haflen them not ouermuch for ouerfliooting of it : 

 and if his houndes fall at default, then is it a token that the Hare 

 hath made fome double or fome crofTe, or that flie hath gone and 

 come backe agayne by one felfe fame way : then fhall he crie, 

 Haiv agayjiCj agayne kere^ Haw, and fliall not ftyrre any furder 

 forwardes, for if he come too neare the houndes, it woulde rather 

 make them to ouerfhoote it : but let him fo ftay them and make 

 them beate for it, comforting and chearyng them with wordes 

 and with his voyce, and beholding how theyhunte and beate for it. 

 But if they cannot make it out vpon the high ways, then let him 

 cafl rounde about in the freflieft and greeneft places, and fuch as 

 are moft commodious for the houndes to take fente vpon, for by 

 that meanes at laft he fliall make it out whiche way the Hare is 

 gone into fome groue or fpryng : and then his houndes may alfo 

 beate the groues, and he himself muft likewise beate the tuffts 

 and buflics with his hunting fticke, to heipe the houndes to flarte 

 hyr. And if he chaunce to finde an olde Forme, he mufte take 

 fome rewarde out of his wallet and calle it in the fayde olde 



forme, 



