2 54 STAG-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



par les bois, forests, tallies et gareuiies, plaines et campagiies.' 

 As far back as 1605 a work had been published at Spires in 

 which the question was discussed, ' Quod sit venatio et 

 quotuplex ; utrum venatio liceat clericis ' ; the conclusion 

 being that, though fishing was allowable, hunting was too 

 expensive and venison too heating a diet for holy men. 



When Ligniville was about eighteen he was sent with 

 letters of introduction to great people by his relative and 

 patron, the Comte de Vaudemont, to the court of Henry IV., 

 to finish his polite, that is, his hunting, education. He 

 had special instructions to try to learn something of the 

 woodcraft of M. le Comte de Vitry, who hunted the king's 

 hounds after the roe-deer in the forest of Fontainebleau ; 

 the roe-deer being then, as now, in France esteemed by the 

 great Nimrods to be the most guileful of all the beasts of 

 chase. His good looks, his gentle birth — for he came from 

 the most ancient and exclusive chivalry of Lorraine — 



Chastelet et Lenoircourt, 

 Ligniville et Haraucourt, 

 Grands chevals et chevalliers 

 De Noblesse sans esgalle, 



his fondness for hunting, and a superlative tufter got him 

 on. He enjoyed himself thoroughly, and writes home to 

 his people, ' Tantost je vas a la court, un limier a la 

 main, une autre fois habille en veneur, et selon les occur- 

 rences vestu en courtisan prepare a aller au bal : le lende- 

 main dispose a monter a cheval,' &c. This was all ver}' 

 nice, and M. de Ligniville made such good use of his advan- 

 tages and ' occurrences,' that on the retirement of Franjois 

 de Beaufort from the post of hereditary Grand Veneur, he was 

 appointed by Charles III. of Burgundy to the vacant office. 

 And now for his book. The first thing that made me 

 like it is that he goes out of his way to tell us that a favourite 

 hound of his, called Mouille, came ' de la contree de York.' 



