20 8 The booke of Hunting 



roundely carie a flieepe, a Gote, or a good porkine in their mouth 

 and neuer touch the ground with it, and wil runne fo faft away with 

 it, that vnlefle horfemen or Maftife dogs do flay them, they will 

 hardly be ouertaken, eyther by the heardman or by an other crea- 

 ture. They pray vpon al kinde of things, and wil feede vpon any 

 carion or any vermine : they liue not long nor aboue .xii. or .xiiii. 

 yeares at moft. When he hath fedde vpon any vermine or ferpent 

 (as he doth often) then runneth he wonderfully faft. In fuch forte 

 that I haue feene a Wolfe (being emptie) out runne four or fiue 

 brace of the beft Greyhoundes that might be founde : for there is 

 no beaft whiche runneth fafter than he, and he holdeth marue- 

 loufly alfo : when he is hunted with houndes, he flieth not farre 

 before them : and vnlefle he be courfed with Greyhounds or Ma- 

 ftiues, he keepeth the couert like a Bore or a Beare, and efpecially 

 the beaten waies therein: moft commonly he prayeth by night, but 

 fometimes alfo by day when he is hungry. Some Wolues will 

 praye vpon Deare, Gotes, and fwyne, and fent as freflily and as 

 tenderly as an hounde : fome alfo wil eate a dogge if they catch 

 him : and fome of them kill children and men fometimes : and then 

 they neuer feede nor pray vpon any other thing afterwards when 

 they haue once bene fleflied and noufled therein, but die fometimes 

 for hunger. Such Wolues are called Warwolues^ bicaufe a man 

 had neede to beware of them, they be fo craftie that when they af- 

 fayle a man, they flee vpon him and lay hold on him before he per- 

 ceyue them : but if he perceyue them firft, then they affayle him fo 

 fubtillie y* he flial hardly efcape their teeth, and can marueloufly 

 defend themfelues from any weapon that a man hath for his de- 

 fence. There are two caufes which make them fet vpon mankind : 

 one is, that when they be old and feeble, and that their teeth begin to 

 fayle them, then can they not carrie their pray as they were wont: 

 fo that they learne with more eafe to pray firfte vpon children 

 which they meete or efpie, which pray can neyther make refiftance, 

 noris needefulltocarieitfarre: andtherwithall the fkinneand fleflie 

 is much more tender and delicate than the fkinne and fleflie of any 

 other pray. Another reafon is, that in countries where warre is 

 made,and wherebattayles andfkirmiflies are giuen, there they feede 



vpon 



