46 DEER AND DEER PARKS. Ch. II. 



His Majesty proceeds to threaten 'the severitie we intend to use 

 hereafter/ and concludes by declaring that he will ' extend against them 

 all penalties whatsoever, which by the Lawes of the Forrests, or by any 

 other Lawes or Statutes of the Realme are to be inflicted upon them.' 



In the autumn of 1613, John Ernest, Duke of Saxe- Weimar, visited 

 James I. at Theobalds : an account of his journey was printed in 1620, arid 

 the following extract from a translation in ' England as seen by Foreigners/ 

 will further illustrate the royal method of hunting at this period : — 



* The King and Prince then went down and out through the pleasure 

 ground [at Theobalds], where horses and carriages were waiting. The 

 King and young Prince seated themselves in one carriage, his Highness 

 took his place in the other ; and thus they proceeded to the hunt ; the 

 other earls and lords rode on horseback. When they came to the hunting+ 

 ground, the King, the Prince, and his Highness also mounted on horseback ; 

 his Majesty had provided a fine palfrey for his Highness. The hunt 

 generally comes off in this way : the huntsmen remain on the spot where 

 the game is to be found, with twenty or thirty dogs ; if the King fancies 

 any in particular among the herd, he causes his pleasure to be signified 

 to the huntsmen, who forthwith proceed to mark the place where the 

 animal stood ; they then lead the dogs thither, which are taught to follow 

 this one animal only, and accordingly away they run straight upon his 

 track ; and even should there be forty or fifty deer together, they do 

 nothing to them, but chase only the one, and never give up till they have 

 overtaken and brought it' down. Meanwhile the King hurries incessantly 

 after the dogs until they have caught the game. There is no particular 

 eiijoyment in this sport. Two animals only were caught on this occasion : 

 one was presented by the King to his Highness, which was eaten at his 

 lodging. His Majesty, however, now and then. uses long bows and 

 arrows, and when he is disposed, he shoots a deer.' ' 



' England as seen by Foreigners, p. 154. 



