The booke of Hunting IP5 



ftand clofe, caft of at the firft but the thirde part of your kennell 

 to finde him : The reft you fliall caufe to be led vp and downe 

 the couerts, in pathcs and high wayes, to caft off" vnto their fel- 

 lowes when he is found. It is not good to caft off" too many hounds 

 at once, bicaufe woods and couerts are full of fundry chafes, and 

 fo you fliould haue your kennell vndertake fundry beaftes, and 

 lofe your paftime. Let thofe which you caft off" firfte, be olde, 

 ftanch, and fure houndes. And if you heare fuche a hounde call on 

 merily, you may caft off" fome other to him, and when they run 

 it with ful cry, caft off" the reft, and you fliall heare good paftime. 

 For a Foxe will not willingly depart out of the couerte, where 

 he hath bin accuftomed to ly, but wil wheele about in the thicks, 

 and thereby make you much the better paftime. The wordes of 

 comforting y« hounds, the hallowing, and all fuch like ceremonies, 

 are euen the fame which you vfe in hunting of other chafes and 

 vermine. When he is dead, you fliall hang him vp on the end ot 

 a ftrong pyked ftafFe, and hallow in al your hounds to bay him, 

 then make them reward with fuch things as you can get, for the 

 flefli of a Fox is not to reward them w*al], for they wil not eate it. 



Howe to digge for a Foxe or a Badgerde, 



and what inftrumentes are meete 



for the fame. Chap. 71 



THey which will heare good paftime at a Foxe, or a Bad- 

 gerd within the grounde, muft be furniflied with fuche 

 tooles and appertinances as followe, and as are heere before 

 this prefent chapter portrayed. Firft let there be in the com- They are but 

 pany, fiue or fixe ftrong fellowes which can well endure to dyg ^P^^'^ ^'"^ 

 and delue. Next you muft haue as many good and arrant Ter- „,„y, ^^ „,t 

 riers, garnifhed with collers full of belles, to make the Foxe or fo ncedfuiito 

 Badgerd ft art the foner, and alfo their collers wil be fome defence '^^/""■^'"'•J'*^- 

 to faue them from hurting. But when your Terriers are out of 

 breath, or that the Belles are ftopped and glutted vp with earth, 

 or that you perceiue the vermine is angled (whiche is to fay, 

 gone to the furdeft parte of his chamber to ftand at defence) then 

 you may take off" the collers : but at the firft they ferue to greate 



purpofe. 



