HAWK. 
403 
England to the time of king Ethelbert, who died 
in the year 7^0. He wrote into Germany for a 
brace of falcons, which would fly at cranes and 
bring them to the ground. This application makes 
it evident that the sport was pursued in Germany 
at that time ; from whence it in all probability got 
footing in England, and became afterwards such a 
favourite pastime, that “ it was thought sufficient 
for noblemen’s sons to winde their horn and to carry 
their hawk fair, and leave study and learning to the 
children of mean people.” Even sanguinary laws 
were enacted in the reign of Edward III., who made 
the stealing of a hawk a capital punishment, and 
imprisoned those a year and a day, who were de- 
tected in taking the eggs, besides a penalty which 
they were obliged to pay if his majesty thought fit. 
These laws were mitigated in the days of Elizabeth, 
when three months imprisonment excused the of- 
fender, if he could find security for his good be- 
haviour during seven years ; if not, he was even 
obliged to remain in jail. In the reign of James 
the First, the diversion was in such repute that sir 
Thomas Monson is said to have given a thousand 
pounds for a cast of hawks ; a prodigious sum in 
those days, and beyond all reason, when we con- 
sider that sir Anthony Pell, the master falconer and 
keeper of his majesty’s hawks at that time, issued a 
warrant dated January A. D. 1621, to prevent the 
removal of those birds from the custom-house, which 
were brought to the port of London, till after he or 
his servants made choice of such as were fit for the 
2 D 2 
