78 FALCONRY. 
subject to mischances; and which is worst of all, is there 
through an extreme stirrer-up of the passions.” 
The greatest faleoner of modern times was one of the 
Lord Orfords who died toward the close of the last century. 
This nobleman spent a princely fortune in attempting to re- 
vive an obsolete taste. He had a large. number of hawks 
and a regular establishment of faleoners. Each hawk had 
its separate attendant; "they were all sent on occasional 
voyages to the continent for the sake of a more congenial 
atmosphere during their time of moulting." 
Having now traced falconry through the English dynasty, 
and as they confined it mostly to the smaller game, I will 
' give some account of it among other nations who have car- 
ried it to a greater degree of perfection. There was no 
nation in Europe prior to the fifteenth century but what the 
emperor, kings and nobles indulged in this sport, and it 
was considered "as the exclusive attribute of noble blood." 
Even in China and Tartary in the thirteenth century, it was 
strictly forbidden "to every tradesman, mechanic or hus- 
bandman throughout his Majesty's dominions to keep a 
hawk, or any other bird used for the purpose of game, or 
any sporting dog." In China, Tartary, India, and some 
other eastern nations, they capture the stork, swan, heron 
and hubara with their faleons and. train dogs to act in con- 
cert with them, so that they pursue and take hares, foxes, 
wolves, deer and antelopes. 
Father Rubruquis and Marco Polo make frequent mention 
of the practice of hawking during the thirteenth century 
among the wandering Tartars. A sport which Marco was 
excessively fond of, and frequently indulged in. The ol 
Venetian informs us, that the grand Khan (Kublai), who 
was at once Emperor of Tartary and China, kept at one 
place, where he was accustomed to resort for the purpose of 
hawking, two hundred falcons, which during his stay there 
“he always visited and inspected in person, at least, once a 
week.” 
