SHAKESPEARE ON THE NOBLE ART OF HAWKING. 163 
the hawk at once selecting its bird and stooping (T. 8. IV-i-194) or swooping 
(Mac. IV-iii-219) *‘ foots ” the quarry (Cym.: V-iv-116) and “‘ souses”’ it, that is, 
seizes it with her talons (K. J. V. ii-150) and starts to “ tire ” on it or devour it 
(3 Hen. VI, I-i-268 ; Tof A, TII-vi-5 ; V. & A. 55 ; Luc. 417) so as to “ disedge”’ 
its appetite (Cym. : IIT-iv-96: Ric. II, I-iii-296 ; Ham. III-ii-264). If the dog 
is let go too soon to rouse the birds, before the falcon has reached her pitch, she 
may miss (2 Hen. VI, II-i-44) and must be recalled (T. 8. [V-i-42 ; Ham. I-v-115) 
or lured back (R. J. I-ii-159). The lure was a sham bird made with pigeon’s 
wings to which a piece of meat, the “‘ train ’’, was attached (Mac. IV-iii-117, and 
hence “to train’ in C. of E. III-ii-45; K.J. II-iv-175 ; 1 Hen. IV, V-ii-21; 
1 Hen. VI, IJ-iii-35 ; TA. V-i-104). 
The falcon had bells on her feet which assisted in cowing (3 Hen. VI, I-i-45 ; 
Luce. 510) or ‘‘ enmewing ” the birds (M. for M. III-i-89). They also indicated 
where she was (Alls-Well, III-iii-80). This sport took place in open country over 
the fields or “ acres ” (1 Hen. IV, I-i-125) divided up by ‘‘ balks ” or heaped up 
mounds (1 Hen. IV, I-i-69). 
The stoop of a falcon is done in one rush full of confidence (Ric. II, I-iii-67 ; 
V. & A. 1027). While the falcon or female is required for all bigger and more 
difficult game, the tercel can be used on duck (T. & C. IIT-ii-55). 
The short-winged hawks are used as noted above for woodland work, they 
start from the hand and return to it. Instead of swooping they follow the bird 
in a stern chase, lurching from tree to tree and then, on sighting the game, shoot 
forward, whence the term ‘“‘ musket” passed on to a gun, being applied to 
early fowling pieces. 
In hawking a ‘‘ hawking eye ”’ is useful (Alls-Well, I-i-105) ; to “ tell a hawk 
from a handshaw (heron) ”’, no easy thing when the hawks are attacking and the 
birds are between you and the sun (Ham. II-ii-397) ; a common trick with herons 
it seems, as anold French writer says, he purposely flies thus (pour se couvrier 
de la clarte). 
Reverting to the mistakes often made in dealing with hawking. Scott makes 
goshawks soar, and his falcons are males (see the Abbot, Ivanhoe, Rob Roy) 
Tennyson and Morris in their poem on this bird make it a male. As regards the 
Bacon-Shakespeare myth, from Bacon’s writings his attitude to such sports is 
that of his relative Burleigh of whom Fuller recounts that when taken out and 
kept standing during a check he exclaimed ‘‘What call you this °°—‘‘Oh now the 
dogs are at fault ’°—‘* Yea take me again in such a fault and I’ll give you leave 
to punish me.” 
A hawk had to be purged of his ‘‘ ensayne ” or grease (Ham. III-iv-92) for 
this he was given a mixture of fur and feathers which acted as an emetic or purge, 
called “‘ castings ’’ (MWW, III-i-91). A hawk was sometimes rolled up in a 
cloth to keep it from struggling, ‘‘ mailed” as it was called (2 Hen. VI, I-iv-q 1). 
Small indurated knobs which appearon hawk feet are called “* gouts ”, but 
this does not seem to be the use in Macbeth (II-i-45). Other terms are “‘ to hold 
a wing ”’ (1 Hen. IV-iii-29), in Lear “‘ Oh well flown bird ” (IV-vi-32) and to the 
waste of time in hunting snipe with hawks (Oth. I-iii-9) Merlins and Hobbies 
were flown at lesser birds. On the Hobby’s approach the birds are scared or 
‘dared ” and sit still till the fowler catches them. In the absence of a Hobby 
a piece of red cloth or a mirror was used to secure them (Hen. VIII, II-ii-279). 
_ Irish goshawks were famous, especially from Tyrone, whence the saying ‘‘ Tyrone 
among the bushes ”’, and Master Ford had a “‘fine hawk for the bush” (MWW, 
IIT -iii-245). 
Note also ‘‘ croucheth”’ (Inc: 506) that is makes them cower down: 
** prune ” (Cym: V. iv-118) meaning preen ; ‘‘dis-edge,” mentioned above is of 
course to take the edge of one’s appetite; and ‘‘ cloys’’(Cym V. iv-118) that 
is cleys or, 7.e., claws at or cleans his beak on his foot. 
Toot. : 
Souse & tire. 
Lure train, 
Bells enmew. 
Stoop, 
Musket. 
Grease. 
Castings. 
Mailed, 
Gouts. 
