234> HUNTING DIRECTORY. 



stag Hunting of Queen Elizabeth. 



In 1575, when Queen Elizabeth was so magnificently 

 entertained by her favourite, Dudley, Earl of Leicester, 

 at Kenilworth Castle, hart-hunting was one of the amuse- 

 ments she partook of, and which a spectator thus de- 

 scribes : — 



" The Hunting of the Hart at Fors. — Munday was 

 hot, and thearfore her highness kept in till a five a clok 

 in the eevening : what time it pleazz'd her to ride foorth 

 into the chace too hunt the hart of fors : which foound 

 anon, and after sore chased by the hot pursuit of the 

 hooundes, was fain of fine fors, at last to take soil. Thear 

 to beholld the swift fleeting of the deer afore with the 

 stately cariage of his head in hiz swimmyng, spred (for 

 the quantitee) lyke the sail of a ship : the hounds har- 

 loing after, az they had bin a number of skiphs too the 

 spoyle of a karvell : the ton no lesse eager in purchaz of 

 his pray, then was the other earnest in savegard of hiz 

 life : so az the earning of the hoounds in continuauns of 

 their crie, the swiftness of the deer, the running of the 

 footmen, the galloping of horsez, the blasting of hornz, 

 the hallooing and hewing of the huntsmen, with the ex- 

 cellent echoz between whilez from the woods and waters 

 in valleiz resounding; mooved pastime delectabl in so 

 hye a degree, az for ony parson to take pleazure by 

 moost sensez at onez, in mine opinion, thear can be none 

 ony wey comparable to this ; and speciall in this place, 

 that of nature is foormed so fytt for the purpose ; in feith. 

 Master Martin, if ye coold with a wish, I woold ye had 

 bin at it : wel, the hart was kild, a goodly deer, but so 

 ceast not the game yet. 



