HAWKING, Hunting, Fouling, and Fishing, with the true measures of blowing. A work right pleasant and profitable for all estates, who so loveth it to practise, and exceeding delightful, to refresh the irksomeness of tedious time. Whereunto is annexed, the manner and order in keeping of Hawks, their diseases, and cures: and all such special points, as any wise, appertain to so Gentlemanlike quality. Now newly collected by W. G. Falconer.  Publicum comodum privato preferendum. 
Imprinted at London by Adam Islip, and are to be sold by Richard Olive. 1596.   

❧ To the Courteous and friendly Readers, the Author hereof wisheth their good acceptation of his pains.  
I AM not ignorant (Gentlemen) how hard a matter it is for any one man to write that which should please and satisfy all persons, we being commonly of so divers opinions, and contrary judgements. Again, Tully affirmeth it to be a very difficult thing to find out any matter, which in his own kind may be in all respects perfect: wherefore I trust, of your own judgements I ought the rather to be pardoned, in that I seek to please many with the variety of matter: the Discourses being four in number: Hawking, Hunting, Fowling, and Fishing: being so briefly set down, for the recreation of tedious time, and especially for all those that take pleasure or delight therein: which if it please you to accept my good will, you shall not only encourage me to amend that's amiss, but also hereafter present you with such matter, as shall better countervail your courtesies, and save mine own credit. Thus being loath to be overlong in so brief a matter, I commend you to the protection of the celestial powers, and this to your friendly acceptation.  
Yours in all humility, William Gryndall, Faulkner.   

❧ Hawking, Hunting, Fowling, and Fishing, with the true measures of blowing: Whereunto is annexed the manner and order in keeping of Hawks, their diseases and cures: and all such special points, as in any wise appertain to so Gentlemanlike quality.  
TO entreat first of Hawks from their beginnings being Eggs, after they are disclosed, Hawks, but goshawks be commonly disclosed assoon as choughs, & in some places sooner, according to the temperature of the Country, and timely breeding: You are to understand that Hawks, do ear and not breed in Woods: and further, that Hawks do draw, when they bear timbring to their nests, and not that they build, or make their nests: & in time of their love, they call, and not calk, and you must say that they tread: and when they be unclosed and begin for to feather any thing of length, by kind they will draw out of their nests, and come to the boughs, and come again to their nests, and then they be called Bowesses: and after S. Margaret's day, they fly from tree to tree: and when they are called Braunchers, than it is time for to take them, and seven days after S. Margerets day, is the best taking of sparowhawks.  

How you shall behave you in taking of Hawks, and with what Instruments, and how you shall call them.  
HE that will take Hawks, must have Nets which are called urines, and those must be made of good small thread, and it must be died either green or blue, that it be not espied, and you must take with you needle and thread, to insile the Hawks that are taken, and in this manner they must be insiled: Take the needle and thread and put it through the upper eye lid, and so of the other, and make them fast under the beak that she see not: when she is insiled, bear her home on thy fist, and cast her on the Perch, and let her stand there a night and a day, and the next day take and cut the thread away, softly for breaking the eye lids, then gently begin to reclaim her, and deal easily with her, till she will sit upon thy fist, for fear of hurting of her wings, and the same night after the teding, wake her all night and all the next day, than she will be easily enough to be reclaimed, and the first meat that she eateth let it be hot, and give her enough thereof.   

How your Hawk may be drawn to claim, and the manner of her diet.  
ANd if your Hawk be hard penned she may be drawn to be reclaimed: for while she is tender penned, she is not able to be reclaimed: and if she be a Goshawk or tercel, that is reclaimed, ever feed her with washed meat at the drawing and at the reclaiming, but let it be hot, and in this manner wash it: Put the meat into the water, and strike it up and down in the water, and wring the water out of it, and feed her therewith, if she be a Brauncher: and if it be an Eyesse, you must wash it cleaner than ye do to a Brauncher, and with a linen cloth wipe it and feed her: and evermore the third day when she is flying give her casting, and if she be a Goshawk or tercel in this manner: Take new Blanket cloth, and cut five morsels, and with a knives point make a hole in every morsel, and put in the pellets of cloth, and put them in a fair dish of water, then take the Hawk and give her a morsel of hot meat, the quantity of half her supper, then take that which lieth in the water and feed her for all night.   

How you shall feed your Hawk, and to know her infirmities, and of the diversities of them.  
IF your Hawk be a Sparhawke, ever feed her with unwashed meat, and look that her casting be plumage, then look it be clean under the Perch, and the next day you shall find her casting under the Perch, and thereby you shall know whether she be clean or not: for some piece will be yellow, and some green, and some glamoes and some clear: and if it be yellow she engendereth the frounce, which is an evil that will rise in the mouth, or in the cheek: and if it be green she engendereth the rye: the condition of this evil is this, it will arise in the head and make the head swell, and in the eye glamos and dark, and if it be not helped it will fall down into the legs and make them rankle, and if it go into the head again, than the Hawk is lost, she engendereth an evil called the Cray, which is when she may not mutise.   

Mark well you Medisines here following.  
FOr the Frounce in the mouth, take the small end of a silver spoon and put it into the fire, till it be hot, then open the beak and burn the sore, and anoint it with the marrow of a Goose that hath lain long, and it will help her: if the frounce be great, then there is a grub in it, which you must cut with a Razor, hold the Hawk and slit the place where the sore is, and you shall find in it as it were the maw of a Pigeon, take a pair of shears and snip the sore, and make it as clean as you can with a linen cloth, and anoint the sore four days with Balm, and afterwards with Pampilion till it be whole: The frounce cometh when a man feedeth his Hawk with Pork or Horse flesh four days together.  
For default of hot meat the diseases of the Rye cometh.   

How the Cray cometh.  
THe Cray cometh of washed meat, which is washed with hot water, for lack of hot meat, and it cometh of threads which is in the flesh that the Hawk is fed with, and though ye pick the flesh never so clean, ye shall find threads therein.   

When your Hawk shall bathe her.  
EVery third day let your Hawk bathe her during Summer, if it be fair weather, and once in a week in Winter, if it be warm, and not else, and when you bathe your Hawk ever give here some hot meat unwashed, although she be a Goshawk.   

How you shall make your Hawk fly with a good courage in the morning.  
IF you will have her fly in the morning, feed her the night before with hot meat, and wash the meat in Urine, and wring out the water clean, and that will make her have a lusty courage to fly after the best manner.   

How you shall guide your Hawk if she be full gorged, and that you would gladly have a flight.  
IF your Hawk be full gorged, and that you would speedily have her fly, take four corns of wheat, and put them in a morsel of flesh, and give it her to eat, and she will quickly cast all that is within her, and after that she hath cast, look that you have some hot meat to give her.   

A medicine for the Rye.  
TAke daisy leaves and stamp them in a Mortar, & wring out the juice, and with a pen put it into the Hookemares once or twice, when the Hawk is small gorged, and anon after let her lyre, and she shall be as whole as a fish.  
Also, and you give your Hawk fresh Butter, or Marrow of Hogs that is in the bone of the leg of Pork, it will make her cast water at the mares; but it will make her haughty and proud.   

A medicine for the Cray.  
TAke and chafe the fundament of your Hawk with your hand and warm water a good while, and after that take the powder of Saxifrage, or else the powder of rue, and a quantity of May butter, and temper them well together, then put it in a little Box and stop it close, and every meal when you feed your Hawk anoint her meat therewith, and for the love of the ointment she will eat her meat the better. This experiment will keep her from the Cray, and many other sicknesses that oft engender in Hawks. Also take the whole heart of a Pig, and feed her therewith two days, and it will make her whole.  
Also take Pork and put it into hot Milk, and feed your Hawk therewith, and that will make your Hawk mute after the best manner: And Pork with the Marrow of the Leg of Pork will make her do the like. Also use her to fresh butter, and it will do the same. Also one or two meals of a Pig's liver hot will make her mute, but let her not have too great a gorge thereof, for it is a perilous meat. Also take the white of an Egg, and beat it that it be as thin as water: put the same in the vessel, and steep the meat therein all a day before you give it her, and at night feed her therewith, and that which shall be for her dinner the next day let it lie in steep all night: but in any wise see that you have fresh whites of Eggs, and if her feeding be of Pork it is the better. This is proved.   

The perfect and kindly terms for a Falconer belonging to Hawks.  
THe first is hold fast at all times, and especially when she baiteth, it is called baiting: for she baiteth with herself most often causeless. The second is, rebate your Hawk to your fist, and that is when your Hawk baiteth, the least moving that you can make of your fist, she will rebate again on your fist. The third is, feed your Hawk: and not give her meat. The fourth, she sniteth or sueth her beak, and not wipeth. The fist, your Hawk iouketh, and not sleepeth. The sixth, she proyneth, and not pecketh: and she proyneth not but when she beginneth at her legs, and fetcheth moisture like Oil ather tail, and bawmeth her feet, and stroketh the feathers of her wings through her beak: it is called the note, when she fetcheth such oil. A Hawk would never be let of her pruning: for when she proyneth herself she is lusty and of good liking, and when she hath done she will rouse herself mightily: and sometime she countenanceth as she picketh her, and yet she proyneth her not, and then you must say she reformeth her feathers, and not pick her feathers. The seventh, your Hawk colieth, and not becketh. The viii. rouseth, and not shaketh her. The ninth, she stretcheth, and not claweth nor scratcheth. The tenth, she mantelleth, and not stretcheth: when she putteth forth her legs from her one after another, and her wings follow her legs, than she doth mantel her, and when she hath mantelled and bringeth forth her wings together over her back, you must say she warbleth her wings, and that is a term fit for it. The xi. your Hawk mutesseth, or mutteth, and not shiteth. The xii. you cast your Hawk upon the Perch, and not set her upon the Perch.   

For special terms belonging to Hawks, when you shall have any cause to commend them for divers of their properties.  
FIrst, you must say she is a fair Hawk, a huge Hawk, a long Hawk, a short thick Hawk: and not to say, a great Hawk: Also she hath a large beak, or a short beak: and not call it a bill: and a huge head, or a small head, fair seasoned. You must say your Hawk is full gorged, and not cropped: and your Hawk putteth over and endueth, and yet she doth both diversly.   

How your Hawk putteth over.  
SHe putteth over when she removeth her meat from her gorge into her bowels: and thus ye shall know: when she hath put it over, she traversseth with her body, and specially with neck, as a Craine doth or other bird.   

When you shall say she endueth and embowelleth.  
SHe never endueth so long as her bowels be full at her feeding, but assoon as she is fed and resteth, she endueth by little and little: and if her gorge and her bowels in any thing stiffeth, you shall say she is emboweled, and have not fully endued: and as long as ye may find any thing in her bowels, it is very dangerous to give her any meat.   

Mark well these terms.  
SAy your Hawk hath a long wing, a fair long tail with six bars out, and standeth upon the seventh. This Hawk is interpened, that is to say, where the feathers of the wings be between the body and thighs: this Hawk hath an huge leg or a flat leg, or a round leg, or a fair infered leg.   

To know the mail of an Hawk.  
Hawks have white mail, Canvas mail, or red mail, and some call red mail iron mail: which mail is soon known. Canvas mail is between white mail and iron mail, and iron mail is very red.   

Plumage and cast your Hawk.  
A Goshawk nor tercel, in their sore age have not their mails named, but is called their plumage: and after the cote, it is called their mail: And if your Hawk reward to any Hawk by countenance for to fly thereto, you shall say cast your Hawk thereto, and not fly thereto.   

Noume or fenced.  
AND if your Hawk nim a foul, and the foul break from her, she hath discomfited many feathers of the foul, and is broken away: but in kindly speech you shall say, your Hawk hath noumed or seized a foul, and not taken it.   

Wherefore a Hawk is called a Rifler.  
OFtentimes it happeneth with a Hawk, that for eagerness when she should noun a foul, she seizeth but the feathers, and therefore such Hawks be called Riflers if they do oft so.   

The names of all the members of your Hawks, with their convenient terms.  
FIrst, Cleys behind that straineth the back of the hand, ye shall call them Talons.  
The Cleys within the foot, you shall call them her pounses.  
But the Cleys that are upon the middle stretchers, you shall call them the long sengles.  
And the uttermost Cleys, you shall call them petty sengles.   

The Key or closer.  
THe long sengles are called the Key of the foot or the closer: for what thing soever a Hawk straingeth, is upon the single, and the strength thereof fortefieth all the foot.   

Seres of watery or waxy colours.  
YOu shall understand, that the skin about the Hawks legs and her feet, is called the Seres of her legs, and her feet whether they be watery or waxy colour are yellow.   

The beam feathers.  
A Hawk hath twelve feathers on her tail, and one principal feather of the same in the midst, and in a manner all the rest are covered under the said feather, and that is called the beam feather of the tail, and there is black bars overthwart the tail, and those bars will tell you when she is full summed or full fermed: for when she is full barred she standeth upon seven, and then she is perfect ready to be reclaimed: as long as a Hawk standeth under the number of seven bars, and she be in her sore age, you may say she is not full summed, for so long she is but tender penned, whether she be Brauncher or Eyes: and if she be a mewed Hawk and stand within seven bars, you may say she is not full fermed, for she is not able to be reclaimed, because she is drawn too soon out of the mew, for she is not penned no harder than a sore Hawk.   

Brayles or Braylefeathers.  
AN Hawk hath long small white feathers, hanging under her tail from her bowels downward, and it is called the Braylefeather: and commonly every Goshawk and every Tercelles brailes be besprinkled with black specks like armies, but for all that they be accounted never the better: But and a Sparrahawke be so armied upon the brailes or Musket, you shall say she is degouted to the uttermost braile, and it betokeneth great hardiness.   

Breast feathers, Plumage, Barb feathers, Pendant feathers.  
THe feathers above the former part of an Hawk, be called breast feathers, and the feathers under the wings are Plumage: the feathers under the beak be called Barb feathers: the feathers that be at the joint of the knee, that are hanging and sharp at the ends, those be called the Pendant feathers.   

Flage or flags feathers.  
THe feathers at the wings next to the body, be the flages, or flags feathers.   

Beam feathers of the wing.  
THe long feather of the wing are called the Beam feather, and the feather that some call the pinion of other fowls, of an Hawk it is called a sarcel: and if she be in mewe, the same feather will be the last that she will cast, and till that be casted she is never mewed. I have heard some say that she hath cast that first, but the other rule is more common: and when she hath cast her sarcel in mewe, then is it time to feed her with washed meat, and to begin to ensayme her.   

Ensayme.  
ENsayme of an Hawk is the grease, and if that be taken away with feeding of washed meat (as it is declared hereafter) she will gender a panel, which will be her utter confusion, if she fly therewith and take cold thereupon.   

Coverts, or covert feathers.  
THere be feathers upon the Sercelles, and those be called covert feathers, and so all the feathers be called that be next over the beam feathers, are the sage feathers of the wings.   

Back feathers.  
THe feathers upon the back, half be called back feathers.   

Beak, Clap, Nares, Sere.  
THe Beak of the Hawk is the upper part that is crooked: the neither part is called the Clap of a Hawk: the holes in the Hawks beak be called the Nares: the yellow between the beak and the eye is called the Sere.   

Cryvets.  
THere be long small black feathers like hears about the Seres, and those be called Cryvets of the Hawk.   

Sore age.  
YOu shall understand that the first year of a Hawk, whether she be a Brauncher or Eyesse, the first is called her sore age, and all that year she is called a sore Hawk: and if she escape that year, with good feeding she is like to endure long.   

To reclaim a Hawk.  
IF you will reclaim your Hawk, you must divide one meal into three, until that she will come to reclaim: and when she will come to reclaim, make her that she sore not, though she be well reclaimed, it may fall out that she will sore too high, that ye shall never see nor find her: And if your Hawk fly to the Partridge, look that ye ensayme her before she fly, whether she be a Brauncher, Eyesse, or mewed Hawk.   

When a Hawk is called an Eyesse.  
A Hawk that is called an Eyesse, is for her eyen: for a Hawk that is brought up under a Busserd or Puttock, as many have watery eyen: for when they be disclosed and kept in farm till they be full summed, ye shall know that by her watery eyes, and also her look will not be so quick as a Braunchers is: and so because the best knowledge is by the eye, they be called Eyessed: ye may know an Eyesse by the paleness of the seres of her legs, or the sere over the beak: also by the taints that be upon her tail and her wings: which taints come for lack of feeding when they be Eyesses.   

What a Taint is.  
A Taint is a thing that goeth overthwart the feathers of the wings of the tail, like as it were eaten with worms, and it beginneth first to breed at the body in the pen, and the same pen shall fret asunder and fall away through the same Taint, and then is the Hawk desperaged for all that year.   

Medisines to Ensayme your Hawk.  
TAke the root of Rasne, and put into clean water, and lay your flesh therein to temper a great while, and give it to your Hawk to eat: and if she eat thereof dread not but it will abate her grease, but in three days she will not greatly abate. Also take puliol and garlic, and stamp it well together, and wring out the juice in a dish, and then wet the flesh therein, and feed your Hawk therewith: Ensayme your Hawk within four days, but look every day that you make new juice, and when you feed her wet your meat therein: Also take juice of Merslie mores, otherwise called Persley roots, and the same of Isope, and wash your flesh therein, and your Hawk shall be ensaymed kindly, and no great abate to the Hawk. Some use to lay their flesh in water almost a day, and give the same to the Hawk at supper, and let that lie all night to give her in the morning, and thus to feed them in the mewe, or ere they be drawn about a month or six weeks, and to ensayme them ere they come on the fist, and assoon as they cast their sarcel, then is it time to feed them so.   

How your Hawk ensaymeth.  
YOu shall further understand, that so long as your Hawks feet look black and rough, he is full of grease, and ever as she ensaymeth, her feet will beware yellow and look smooth.   

How you shall behave yourself in putting up the Partridge.  
WHen you have ensaymed your Hawk and reclaimed her, and that she is ready to fly to the Partridge, you must take a Partridge in your bag and go into the field, and let your Spannelles find a covey of Partridges, and when they be up and begin to scatter, you must mark them and couple up your Spannelles: and when you have so done, let him that hath the Partridge in the bag take and tey a creance to her leg, and cast her up as high as you can, and as soon as your Hawk seeth her she will fly thereto: and if your Partridge seize upon her above, give her a reward thereupon: this done, go to the Partridges that you have marked, do as hereafter followeth: and if you have a chastised Spaniel that is rebuked and is a retraver, uncouple him alone and go and single out one of the Partridges of the covey, and go as nigh to the rising of him as you can, and if your Hawk have a desire cast her to it: and if she take it, them your Hawk is made for that year, and of the same Partridge that she slayeth you must thus reward her as followeth.   

How you shall reward your Hawk.  
TAke the Partridge, and cut the head and neck from the body, and strip the skin from the neck, and give it her to eat, and cover the body of the Fowl with a hat, and lay the said head and the neck thereupon, and if she will forsake the Fowl that she plumeth on and come to the reward, then secretly take away the Partridge and reward your Hawk with the brain and the neck, but beware that she eat no bones, for it will make her unlusty for to fly: and thus must you serve her of as many as she flieth at, but let her reward be the less, or else she will be quickly full gorged, and then she will not fly a good while.   

How your Hawk shall rejoice herself.  
WHen your Hawk hath slain a Fowl, and that you have rewarded her as before, let her fly no more till she hath rejoiced her: that is to say, till she hath sewed or snited her beak, or else roused her: and when she hath done any of all these, go and retrine more, and she will nim plenty.   

When your Hawk hath noumed a Fowl, what you shall do that you rebuke not the Hawk.  
Learn this thing when she doth nim a Fowl, stand a good way from her, and take away your Spannelles for rebuking of her, for divers Hawks cannot abide the Spaniels, and when your Hawk plumeth, come softly towards her near and near, and if she leave pluming and look upon you, stand still and chearke her and whistell her until she plume again, and serve her thus until you be nigh her, then softly fall on your Knees, and privily while she plumeth, set your hand and be sure of the gosse, and then ye may guide all things as you will, and if you do the contrary, she will for fear carry game, or let it go quick, with loss both to you and to your Hawk also.   

A Medson for an Hawk that is lousy.  
TAke quicksilver, and put it into a Basin of brass, and put into it Salindine and Ashes, and mingle it well together till the quicksilver be dead, and put thereto fat of bones, and anoint the Hawk therewith, and it will kill the lise: also powder of Orpement blown upon the Hawk with a Quill will kill the Lice.   

The opinion of Ostregiors.  
AFter the opinion of many Ostregiors, and you feed your Hawk continually with Pork, with Rays or Pies, or carry her much in rainy whether, she will be lousy.   

Ostregers, sperviters, Fawkners.  
BEcause I spoke of Ostregers, you shall understand that they be called Ostregers that keep goshawks or Tercels, and those that keep Sparhawk's and Musket's be called sperviters, and keepers of all other Hawks be called Falconers.  
You shall call the long Line wherewith you call your Hawk withal, your Creance, whatsoever it be.   

A Medson for an Hawk that casteth her flesh.  
PUT the flesh that you feed your Hawk withal in fair water, and feed her therewith three days, and it will keep her in flesh.   

A Medson for an Hawk that hath lost her courage.  
YOu may know when your Hawk hath lost her courage, for when you cast her to the Fowl she flieth awayward, as though she knew not the Fowl, or else she will fly a little after her and then give her up, and this is a very good remedy for such a Hawk. Take Oil of Spain, and temper it with clear Wine and the yolk of an Egg, and put into it some Beef, and give her thereof five morsels, and then set her in the Sun, and at night feed her with an old hot Culuer, and if you feed her thus three times: and then your Hawk was never so lusty and jolly before, as she will be after and come to her courage again.   

A Medisine that an Hawk shall not lie in Mew for unlustiness.  
TAke Fearne roots that grow within an Oak, and Oak apples, and make juice of them, and wet her flesh therein that she eateth, and feed her three or four times, and it will make her leave that.   

A Medisine for an Hawk that hath the Tanie.  
A Hawk that hath the Tanie a man may soon know if he take heed: for this is her manner, for she will pant more for one baiting then some will do for three or four, and if she should fly a little while, she would almost lose her breath, whether she be fat or lean, & she will be always heavy, and this is the remedy. Take a quantity of the redness of Hasell, and a little of the powder of Rosen, of Pepper, & somewhat of Ginger, and make thereof with fresh grease three pellets, and hold your Hawk to the fire, and when she feeleth the heat, make her swallow the three pellets by force, and knit her beak fast that she cast it not out again, and this do three times and she shall be safe.  
Also take Alexander, and the Roots of Primroses, and the root Grongnaulles, and seeth them in Butter, and give her three morsels every day until she be whole, and look that she be void when ye give the medicine.   

How you shall take your Hawk from the air.  
WHo so taketh his Hawk from the air, it behoveth him to be wise in bringing her easily, and to keep her from cold, and from hurting of her bones for they be tender, and she must have great rest, and they must have as clean air as can be, and always give her clean and hot meat, and give her a little and often, and change her meat often, and cut her meat into small morsels, for they should not lyre on bones: and then when she beginneth to pen and plumeth, and palketh and picketh herself, put her into a close warm place where no vermin may come into her, and let the place be sure from wind and rain, and then she will prove herself: and evermore give her good hot meats, for it is better for a man to feed his Hawk while she is tender with meat, and to make her good with some cost, then to feed her with evil meats to make her unthrifty with little cost: and look when she beginneth to farm, then give her baiting.   

A Medisine for worms in an Hawk, which sickness is called the sylanders.  
BEware of this sickness, the remedy for it is this. Take an herb that is called Neppe, and put it into the gut of a Capon, or of an Hen, and knit it with a thread and let her receive it whole, and she will be whole and safe.  
Thus you shall know when your Hawk hath worms in her belly: look when she hath casted, and then ye shall find one or two about her casting place, if she hath been with any.   

A Medisine for an Hawk that casteth worms at her fundament, and what worms they be.  
TAke the bymaile of iron, & mingle it with the flesh of Pork, & give it two days to the Hawk to eat, & she shallbe whole.   

A Medisine for an Hawk that hath a sickness, called the Aggersteyne.  
WHen you see your Hawk hurt her feet with her beak and pulleth her tail, than she hath the Aggersteyne: For this disease, take the dung of a Dove, and the dung of a Sheep, and strong vinegar, and mingle them softly in a brazen basin, and mingle them will together to serve for three days after, and give her flesh of a Culuer with honey, and with powder of Pepper, and set her in a dark place nine days, and when you see new feathers on her tail, wash her with Verose nine days, and she will be whole.   

A Medisine for an Hawk that hath the Cramp in her wings, and how it cometh.  
TAke a white loaf of bread somewhat colder than it comes out of the Oven, and hold the Hawk softly for hurting, and cut the loaf almost through, and display her wing easily, and hold it between the two parts of the loaf, and let it be held so the space of half an hour, and it will help her.  
The Cramp cometh to an Hawk by taking cold in her youth: therefore it is good for an Hawk to keep her warm whether she be young or old.   

Let not your Hawk be put into mew to fat, but in this manner as followeth if you love her.  
Keep her well and put her not late in mew: for who so for covetousness of flying, loseth the time of his Hawks mewing, and withholdeth her too long from it, he may after put her to mewe at adventure, for then a part of her mewing time is past. Who so putteth his Hawk in mew in the beginning of Lent, if she be kept as she ought to be, she should be mewed in the beginning of August.   

How you shall dispose and ordain your mew.  
SEt and dispose your Mew in this manner, so that no weasel nor Polecat, nor no other Vermin, nor that it be windy or cold, nor that it be over hot, let one part of it stand towards the Sun, so that the most part of the day the Sun may come to it. Also you must took that she be not troubled with noise or the singing of men, and that no man come to her but only he that feedeth her: you must let her have a feeding stock in her mewe, and a long string to bind her meat, or else she will carry her meat about the house and bewray it with dust, and peradventure she will hide it till it stink and then feed on it: which if she should do, it would be her death. And therefore when it is bound to the feeding stock, than she will neither at feeding, neither at lyring, nor at liking, nor at rising hurt herself: and when she hath fed, take away that she leaveth, and look that she have fresh at every meal: for of stolen and evil meats she will engender many diseases, and look that you never go to the mewe but when you carry her meat or water to bathe her. Suffer no rain to wet her at any time if you may: and as for her baiting, that will nothing hinder her mewing.   

The manner how a man shall put his Hawk into the Mew: and is proved.  
ONe thing you must beware of, that she have no sickness before you put her in Mew: for as I have proved, a sick Hawk shall never mewe well, but though she mewe she shall not endure: but when she is great and fat, for at the bating of her estate, she will no longer endure. Sometime without any medicine many men devise how they might mewe their Hawks: for some put them in at high estate, and some when they be very low, and some when they are empty and lean: but it makes no matter for that, if she be whole: nevertheless, you shall hear mine advise as I have seen and proved.  
Whosoever putteth a Goshawk, a tercel, or Sparrehawke into Mewe, so high that she may be no higher, she will hold her long ere she lose and leave any feathers: and who so putteth her into mewe lean, it will be long ere she remount: and who so putteth her in mew too lean and hungry, if she have meat at her will, she will eat too much, because of hunger, and she is likely to kill herself therewith, as hath been often seen: but who so will have his Hawk endure and mew kindly, my counsel is that she be neither too high nor to low, nor in distress of hunger, but as she should best fly: but take heed the first day of too much dealing till the time that she be staunched, and after you may take her such meat as I shall describe you hereafter.   

In what manner you shall feed your Hawk in your mew.  
Look what meat she hath been most used to be fed with, and feed her therewith eight days together, and give her Birds enough morning and evening, and let her plume upon them well, and take casting of the plumage, and that will tallant her well, and cause her to have good appetite, and it will cleanse her bowels well, and when she is well cleansed, you may give her what meat you will, so it be clean and fresh. But the best meat to make her mewe soon without any medicine, is the flesh of a Kid, of a young Swan, and of a young Chicken, and of a young Goose: for such meat is whole of itself.  
Also take pieces of great fresh Eels, and especially the colpen next the navel, and wet in hot blood of Mutton, it is good to make her to mewe, but especially it will make her wight after her sore age. These said fleshes be good to mewe a Hawk, and to keep her in state, but look that she have plenty every day that she rather leave then lack, and every third day let her bathe if she will: and when she is waxed near farm, then let her eat Hens and fat Pork: and of a Hound is passing good.   

To make a Hawk mew quickly without any hurting of her.  
THe experiment is thus approved. Take an Addar that is red of nature, and also there be Snakes of the same kind, and they be very bitter; take two or three of them and smite off their heads and their tails: then take a new earthen pot that was never used, and cut them in small pieces, and put them into the pot to seeth, and let them seeth at leisure, and let the pot be covered close that no air come out of it nor no breath, and let them seeth so long that the pieces turn to grease, and put it into a clean vessel, and as oft as you feed your Hawk anoint her meat therewith, and let her eat as much as she will, and that will mew her at your will.   

Who so would have his Hawk mew, and that her feathers should not fall.  
TAke powder of Cavil, and the juice of Franeke costs, and the juice of Paraine, and take three or four morsels of meat, and wet them therein, and make your Hawk swallow them, and serve her so many times.  
Also take the skin of a Snake and of an Adder, and cut them into small pieces, and temper it with hot blood, and make your Hawk to eat thereof, and she shall not mew.   

For the Gout in the throat.  
WHen you see your Hawk blow many times, and that it cometh of no baiting, you may be sure she hath the Gout in her throat: and for that disease, take the blood of a Peacock, and Eneense, Myrabolana, and cloves of Gelofte, and Cavil, and Ginger: and take of all these every evening and mingle them with Peacocks blood, and seeth it till they be thick, and thereof make morsels, and give the Hawk morning and at noon.   

For the Gout in the head and in the reins.  
WHen you see your Hawk may not endure her meat nor remove her estate, she hath the Gout in the head and in the reins. Take Nomin, (among the Apothicaries you may have it,) and the skin of an Hare, and give it to your Hawk to eat nine times with the flesh of a Cat, and if she hold the meat she shall be safe.   

A medicine for the Cramp in the thigh, in the leg, or in the foot of an Hawk.  
WHen you see your Hawk lay one foot upon another, than she is taken with the Cramp, then draw her blood, and upon the foot that lieth on the other foot, and upon the leg, and it will help her.   

For the Cough or the Pose.  
TAke the powder of Bays & put it on the flesh of a Dove, and give it oft to your Hawk, and it will help her.   

A Medisine for the sickness within the body of any Hawk, if it show not outwards, how she shall be helped and in what manner.  
A Man may know by the countenance of an Hawk partly her infirmities: but it is strange to know a man's disease, when he knoweth not whereof nor how it cometh: For this disease feed your Hawk well of an Hen, and then make her fast two days after, that she may empty her body: the third day take Honey and seeth it, and fill her full, and bind her beak that she cast it not out again, and then set her out of the Sun, and when it draweth towards night feed her of a hot Fowl: and if this will not help her never look for other medicine.   

For the passion that goshawks have fasting.  
TAke the root of small Rushes, and make juice of them, and wet her meat therein and make her eat thereof.   

For Hawks that be wounded.  
TAke away the feathers about the wound, and take the white of an Egg, and Oil of Olive, and mingle them together, and anoint the wound, and keep it with white wine, until the time that you see dead flesh, and then put into the wound Escompe, until the time that the dead flesh be wasted: after take incense, and take as much of the one as of the other, and mingle them together: and when you will anoint the sore, heat your ointment, and anoint it with a pen, till the time the skin grow again, and if you see dead flesh about it and that you would have it away, take Vinegar, and then anoint it with this ointment aforesaid, and she shall be whole.   

A medicine for an Hawk that hath the Artelick.  
WHen you perceive that your Hawk is fat about the heart, you may trust to it she hath the Artelicke, therefore let her blood in the original vain, and after that give her a Frog to eat, and she will be whole.   

A medicine for an Hawk that is troubled in the bowels.  
WHen your Hawk is troubled in her bowels, you shall know it by her eyes, for her eyes will be dark, and she will look drowsily, and her mutising will defile her fundament, then take Hawks meat, and anoint it with the powder of Cavil, and give it her to eat and she shall be whole.   

A medicine for an Hawk that hath the Gout.  
Feed your Hawk once or twice with an Irchin, and it shall help her.   

A medicine for an Hawk that hath Mites.  
TAke the juice of wormwood, and put it where they be, and they will die.   

A medicine for an Hawk that hath the Stone.  
Anoint her Fundament, and put in the powder of Allom with a hollow Straw: Also take an herb called Christ's Ladder, and anoint her mouth therewith, and she will be whole.   

A medicine for Vermin.  
TAke the juice of the root Fennell, and put it where the Vermin, be, and they will die.   

A medicine for the Rheum that Hawks have.  
WHen you see your Hawk close her eyes, and shake her head, give her lard of a Goat the first day, and the second day give her Epaticke with the flesh of a Chicken, and she shall be whole.   

A medicine for Hawks that be dry and desire to drink, to keep them moist.  
TAke the juice of Horehound, and wet the Hawks meat therein, and feed her therewith once or twice, and she shall be whole.   

A medicine for diseases in the Entrails.  
TAke yolks of Eggs raw, when they be well beaten together, put to it Spanish Salt, and as much Honey, and wet therein thy Hawks meat, and feed her therewith three days together: and if she make dainty in eating of it, then make her of force to swallow three or four morsels a day, and presently she shall be whole. Yet I will tell you another thing: Take Honey at the change of the Moon, and a sharp Nettle, and make thereof small powder, and when it is well ground, take the breast bone of an Hen, and another of a Culuer, and make it small with a knife, and do away the skin, and put powder thereon, and all hot with the powder feed her three days and she will be whole.   

For sickness of swelling.  
IF a Felon be swollen in such sort that a man may heal it, the Hawk shall not die. Thus a man may help her and lengthen her life, but the Hawk will be very eager and grievous of sickness: therefore ye must take the root of comfort, and of Sugar like much, then seethe it in fresh grease with the third part of Honey, and then draw it through a fair cloth, and then oft give it to the Hawk and she shall be whole.   

A Medisine for blains in Hawks mouths called frounces.  
THe frounce is a fearful disease and draweth her to death, and withholdeth her strength, and it cometh of cold: for cold doth a Hawk much harm. To cure her, take Fennell, marial and Serses alike much, and seeth them and strain them through a cloth, and sometimes wash her head therewith, and put some on the roof of her mouth, and she shall be safe.   

A Medisine for an Hawk that casteth her flesh.  
Seethe Raisins in water and wet her flesh therein when it boileth.   

A Medisine for the Agrum.  
WHen you see your Hawk have blobbed cheeks, than she hath this disease called Agrum: therefore take a Needle of Silver, and heat in the fire, and burn the narrelles throughout, then anoint it with oil Olive.   

A Medisine to make a Hawk fat.  
TAke a quantity of Pork and Honey, and Butter alike much, and purged grease, take away the Skin, seethe them together, and anoint the flesh therewith, and she will increase mightily.   

For botches that grow in a Hawks jaw.  
CVt the botches with a Knife, and let out the matter, and cleanse it with a silver Spoon, or else fill the hole with the powder of Arne Melit burned into powder, and upon the powder do a little cloth bespread with hot wax, and so it will away.   

A medicine for an Hawk that will not come to reclaim.  
TAke fresh Butter, and put into it Sugar, and put it in a clean cloth, and reclaim her to that, and keep it in a box and put it into your bag.   

A Medisine for Hawks that be refrained.  
WHen you see your Hawk to Neese and to cast water thorough her Nostrils, then doubtless she is refrained, for this disease take the grains of Chaflegre and of pepper, and grind it well and temper it with strong vinegar, and put it to the roof of her mouth, and give her flesh to eat, and she shall be whole.   

A Medisine for Hawks that have pains in their Crops.  
TAke fair Morfumum, and powder of Gilover, and mingle them together and give it her to eat, and if she hold it past the second day, after she shall be whole.   

A medicine for the stone in the fundament.  
WHen your Hawk cannot mute: then she hath this disease called the Stone: and for this sickness you shall take the heart of a Swine, and the grease of a Swine, and cut it with the flesh of the heart, and she shallbe whole.   

A medicine for the dry Frounce.  
FOr this sickness, take the root of Polipode that groweth upon Okes, and seeth it a great while, then take it from the fire & let it stand till it be lukewarm, then wash your Hawks flesh therein three times when you feed her, and it will help her.   

A medicine for worms called the Angules.  
TAke pressure of a Lamb that was eyned before his time, and make thereof three morsels, and put it into the gut of a Culuer, and feed her therewith, and look that the Hawk be empty when you give her the medicine, and take the juice of Dragons and fill the gut of a Pigeon, and then cut it as the Hawk may swallow it, and knit his beak for casting it up again, and give her the ballocks of a Buck as hot as they be int●●t, and make powder of the pissell, and cast it upon the flesh and and she shallbe whole.   

Proper terms used in keeping of Hawks.  
AN Hawk tireth, feedeth, gorgeth, beaketh, rouseth, endueth, muteth, percheth, and iouketh, puketh over, proyneth, plumeth, she warbeleth, and mantelleth: she tireth upon rumps, she feedeth on all manner of flesh: she gorgeth when she filleth her gorge full of meat: she beaketh when she sueth, that is to say, when she wipeth her beak: she rouseth when she shaketh her feathers and her body together: she endueth when the meat in her bowels fall to digestion: she muteth when she avoideth her order: she perches when she standeth on any bow or Perch: she iouketh when she sleepeth: she puketh when she avoideth her meat out of her gorge into her bowels: she proyneth when she fetcheth Oil over the tail and annoyneth her feet and her feathers: she plumeth when she pulleth off the feathers of any Fowl, or any thing, and casteth it from her: she warbeleth when she draweth her wings over the midst of her back, and softly shaketh them and letteth them fall again: she mantelleth when she stretcheth out one wing alone, and afterward the other wing, and most commonly she doth that before she warbleth her.   

The names of Sparhawk's, as Ostregers and sperviters have determined.  
THere is a question asked whether a man shall call a Spear or a Sparrehawke, or an Asper Hawk, and Ostregers and sperviters say, she may be called all three names: for these reasons, she may be called a Sparrehawke: for of all Hawks that there are, she is most spear that is to say, most tender to keep: For the least misoieting and evil tending of her, killeth her, and she may be called an Asperre Hawk of sharpness of her courage, and of her looking quick, and also of her flying. For she is most aspere and sharp in all thing that belong unto her. Of all Hawks she may may be called a Sparralike, for two reasons: one is, she spareth goshawks and Tarcels until they time they be reclaimed to fly, and till they be fully mewed and clean ensaymed, for all the while they be unable, the Sparhawke occupieth that season, and flieth the Partridge well, from Saint Margaret's day until it be Lammas, and she will slay young pheasants, Hichcocks, in the beginning of the year: And I have seen them slay the Teal, the black bird, the woodcock and the Thrush, although the woodcock be combrose to kill: And therefore when you come to a Grove of Trees, or a Thicket of Bushes, cast your Spharhawke into the tree and beat the bushes, and at the rising of the Fowl she will be sure to have her. Further, if that there were a ship fraught full of Hawks: if there were but one Sparrehawke amongst them, there should be no custom paid for any of them, and therefore she is in divers respects a Sparhawke.   

An Hawk flieth to the view, to the Beak, to the Toll, not a crew, Ouerre, far jutty.  
AN Hawk flieth to the river divers ways, and she slayeth the foul diversly, that is to say, to the view or to the beak, or the toll: and all is but one as ye shall understand hereafter. She slayeth also to the querre, to the creep, and no more ways but those three, and she nimmeth the foul at the far jute, or at the juttie far.   

Now ye shall know the meaning of these terms, random, Creep, Emewed.  
YOur Goshawk or tercel that shall fly, to the view, to the toll, or to the beak: in this manner she must be taught. You must find a Fowl in the River or in the Pit, and set your Hawk a good space from you upon a Molehill, or upon the ground, and creep softly to the foul, and when you come near where the foul lieth, look backward to the hawk, and with your hand beck your Hawk to come to you, and when she is on wing, and cometh low by the ground, and is almost at you, then smite your tabre and cry huff, huff, huff, and make the foul spring, and then the Hawk will nime her.  
And now take heed, if your Hawk nyme the foul at far side of the river, or at the pit from you, that she slay the foul at the far jutte, and if she slay it upon that side ye be on, as it may hap divers times, than you shall say she hath slain the foul at the far jutte. If your Hawk slay the Fowl aloft, ye will say she took it at the mount or at the souse.  
And if the Fowl spring not but fly along after the River and the Hawk nyme her, than ye shall say she slew it at random. And if your Hawk fleeth at or to the Creep, when you have your Hawk on your fist, and that you creep softly to the River or to the pit, and stealeth to the brink thereof, and then cry huff, and then by that mean nyme the Fowl, than she is slain at the Creep, at the far jutte, or jutte far: and if it happen, as it doth often, that the Fowl for fear of your Hawk will spring and fall into the River again, or ere the Hawk see her, and so lie still and dare not arise, than you shall say your Hawk hath renewed the Fowl into the River, and there be more Fowls in the River than your Hawk plumeth, and they dare not arise for fear of your Hawk.   

A thief.  
YOu shall understand that your Goshawk must not fly to the River with bells in no wise: and therefore a Goshawk is called a thief.   

Querre.  
WHen your Hawk slieth to the Querre, when there be in the stub time, Sardes of Mallards' in the field, and when she espieth them and cometh covert herself, and fly privily to the hedges or low by the ground, and nyme one of them ere they rise, than you may say that the Fowl was slain at the Querre.   

Mark this term draw.  
SOme misuse this term draw, and say that their Hawk will draw to the River: and that term draw, is properly assigned to that Hawk that will slay a Rook, or a Crow, or a Raven upon the land sitting: and then it may be said that such an Hawk doth draw well to a Rook.   

If you will make your Hawk to the Querre, you must use her in this manner.  
TAke a tame Mallarde and set him in a plain field, and let him go where he will, than set your Hawk upon your fist, and go to that plain and hold up your hand a pretty way off from the Mallard, and look if your Hawk can espy it by her own courage: and if she have found the Fowl and desire to fly to it, let her kill her, and plume well upon her, and erue her so three or four times, and then she is made to the Querre.  
I have known Gentlemen that when they have seen any tame Ducks, that if their Hawks have desired to fly at them, they have let them fly to the encouraging of them another time, and so have won them to the Querre.   

A pretty device to take a Hawk that is broken out of Mew, and all manner of other Fowls that sit in trees, or that hath taken up their perch all night in any place.  
YOu must in the night do it. Climb up softly with a Sconce or a Lantern, and you must have but one light in your hand, and let the light be towards the Hawk or Foule that she see not your face, and you may take her by the legs or any other place of her as you list. This is approved: for I have known divers that have taken many Fowls after this same manner.   

Of the Bells for Hawks.  
Look that the Bells that your Hawk shall wear, that they be not too heavy, nor that they be above her power to bear, and that they be not one heavier than an other, but that they be both of a weight: also look that they have a good sound and shrill, and not both of one sound, but that one be of a semi tune above the other, and that they be whole and not broken, especially in the sounding place: for if they be any whit broken they will sound fully.  
Of Sparhawk's bells there is divers choice, and little charge of them, for there is plenty of them: & for goshawks, the bells of Milan were counted the best, and they are very good: for commonly they are sounded with Silver, and therefore they are sold thereafter. There are now used of Duchland bells made in a town called Dordright, and they are excellent good bells, for they are well sorted, and well sounded, very good in ringing of Shrillness, and passing well lasting.   

Here endeth the Book of Hawking, and hereafter ensueth the names of all manner of Hawks, and to whom they belong.  
THese Hawks belong to an Emperor, and these be their names: and Eagle, a Bautere, a Melion: the simplest of these three will slay a Calf, a Fawn, a Roe, a Kid, a Crane, a buzzard, a Stroke, a Swan, or a fox on the plain ground: and these are not in lure nor reclaimed, because they be so ponderous to the Perch protatife: and these three by their nature belongs to an Emperor.  
These Hawks belong to a King. 
A gerfalcon, a tercel of a gerfalcon, are due to a King.  For a Prince. 
THere is a Falcon gentle, and a tercel gentle, and these be for a Prince.  For a Duke. 
THere is a Falcon of the Rock, and that is for a Duke.  For an Earl. 
THere is a Falcon Perigrine, and that is for an Earl.  For a Baron. 
THere is a Bastard, and that is for a Baron.  Hawks for a Knight. 
THere is a Sacre and a sacred, and those be for a Knight.  Hawks for a Squire. 
THere is a Laver, and a Laveret, and those be for a Squire.  For a Lady. 
THere is a Merlion, and that Hawk is for a Lady.  An Hawk for a young man. 
THere is an Hobby, and that is for a young man.   
And these be Hawks of the Tower, and be both illured, and be called and reclaimed.   
FINIS.   

❧ The Book of Hunting, whereunto is added the measures of blowing, very pleasant to be read, for all those that have delight in the Art of Venery.  
AS in the Book of Hawking is discoursed and noted the proper terms belonging to that gentelmanlike exercise: So in like manner is showed in this treatise of Hunting, for all sorts of beasts of Venery, and also is showed all convenient terms, as well of Hounds as of the beasts, or any other that appartaine to the Art of Venery.  

Of Beasts of Venery there be four sorts.  
THe Hart, the Boar, the Wolf, and the Hare.   

Beasts of Chase there be five kinds.  
THe Buck, the Row, the Martyron, the Fox and the Dough, and these are the five beasts of Chase, and if you chance to find any other, you shall call them Rascal.   

Of the age of an Hart.  
THe first year he is a Calf, the second year a Broket, the third year a Spayd, the fourth year a Stag, and the fift year a great Stag, and at the sixth year an Hart.   

Of a Herd, a Bevy, a Sounder, or a Rout.  
THe Buck, the Dough, the Hart and the Hind,  
They are called a heard when or where ye them find.  
And a Bevy of Rows wheresoever they be:  
And a Sounder of Swine when ye them see.  
And a Rout of Wolves where they pass in:  
So shall ye them call as many as they been.   

A middle heard, a little heard, a great heard.  
Twenty is a little heard though it be of Hinds,  
And threescore is a middle heard, so call them by kinds.  
And fourscore a great heard, call ye them so:  
Be they Hart, be they Hind, be they Buck or Dowe.   

You must say a great heart and not a fair Hart.  
A Great heart so shall ye him call,  
But not a fair heart whatsoever befall.  
A great Buck, a great Hind, and a great Dowe,  
Wheresoever ye find them call ye them so.   

Of a Bevy of Rows great or small.  
Six is a Bevy of Rows, and a middle Bevy is ten, and a great Bevy is twelve: and wheresoever you see the number to be the many, the bigger is the Bevy.   

What a Sounder of Swine is great or small.  
Twelve make a Sounder of wild Swine, and fifteen a middle Sounder, and twenty a great Sounder.   

Of the hunting of the Row, the breaking and dressing.  
WHen ye hunt at the Row, than ye must say,  
He crosseth and traverseth over the way.  
A great Row buck call him not so,  
But a fair Row buck, or a fair Dowe.  
With the bowels and with the blood,  
Reward your Hounds that be so good.  
And each foot you shall cut in four as you ken,  
Take the bowels and the blood and put together then,  
And give it to your Hounds so,  
And much the gladder will they go,  
The Row shall be herdled as I ween,  
The two fore legs the head laid between:  
And take the one hinder leg up I you pray,  
And the other farther leg right as I say:  
Upon that other farther leg up ye them pit,  
And with the other farther leg up them knit.  
On this manner when ye have wrought,  
Up into the Kitchen it shallbe brought:  
Save that your Hounds eat the bowels and the feet.   

Of the age and undoing of the Boar.  
NOw to speak of the age of the Boar, the first year he is  
A Pig of the Sounder, so called as I gis.  
The second year a Hog, and so shall he be,  
And a Hog steer when he is of years three.  
And when he is of four years a Boar he shall be,  
From the Sounder of Swine than goeth he.  
When ye have slain the Boar then do him right,  
You shall unflay him before it be night:  
Thirty parts and two, of him ye shall make.  
As by the law of Venery I dare undertake.  
Though your Hounds by strength hath made him dead,  
They shall have the bowels boiled with bread,  
Cast upon the ground where the Boar was slain:  
And that is called a reward as Hunter's sayne,  
Upon the earth as I gis,  
Because it so eaten is.   

Of the Hare.  
NOw to speak of the Hare presently,  
That beast King shallbe called of all Venery.  
For all the speaking and blowing so fair,  
That cometh of seeking and finding the Hare:  
For my dear friends I take it in hand,  
He is the maruelloust beast in all this land.  
For he femayeth, croketh, and rungeth evermore,  
And beareth tallow and grease and above hath teeth before▪  
And otherwhile he is male, and so ye shall him find,  
And sometime female and kindly by kind.  
And when he is female and kindleth him within,  
In three degrees he bareth them, or he with them twin:  
Two rough and two smooth who so will them see,  
And two knots also that kindles will be.   

The reward for the Hounds.  
WHen the Hounds hath taken her and put her to death,  
The Huntsman shall reward them while they are in breath:  
With the shoulders, and the sides, and the bowels all,  
And all things within her save only the gall.  
Then the loins of the Hare look ye do not forget,  
But bring them to the Kitchen for thy Lord's meat.   

The descriving of a Buck.  
ANd ye speak of a Buck, the first year he is  
A Fawn sucking on his dam, say as I you wish.  
The second year a Pricket, the third year a Sorrel,  
A soar at the fourth year the truth I you tell:  
The fift year call him a Buck of the first head,  
The sixth year a Buck, do as I you bid.   

Of the Row buck.  
ANd if ye of row buck will know the same,  
The first year he is a Kid sucking his dame:  
The second year a Girl and so be they all,  
The third year a Hemuse look ye him call,  
Row buck of the first head, he is at the fourth year,  
The fift year a Row buck call him without fear.  
At S. Androwes, his horn he will cast,  
In Moure or in Moss he will hide them fast:  
So that no man can them soon find,  
Or else certainly he doth not his kind.  
At S. john's day where so ye go,  
Then shall the Row buck gender with the Row.   

Of the Hart and the Hind.  
OF the Hart and the Hind learn well ye may,  
That they draw to the heard at Hollyrood day:  
To the stepe than they go each hot day at noon:  
Which stepe they use without any fear,  
Until it be Midsummer at the least very near.  
The cause of the stepe is to keep them from the fly,  
Who so cometh to the place may soon it espy:  
And other things use they my friends also,  
The same time of the year to the soil they go.   

Of the crying of these Beasts.  
A Hart belloweth, and a Buck groaneth I find,  
And every Row buck certainly belloweth by kind.  
The noise of these Beasts thus ye shall call,  
For pride of their make they use it all.  
Say friend where you go, I taught you say so.   

Mark well these seasons following.  

TIme of grease beginneth at Midsummer day,  
And till Hollyrood day lasteth as you may say.  
The season of the Fox is from the Nativity,  
Till the Annunciation of our Lady.  
Season of the Row buck at Easter doth begin,  
And till Michalmas lasteth near ere it lin.  
The season of the Row buck beginneth at Michalmas,  
And it doth endure till it be Candlemas.  
At Michalmas beginneth the hunting of the Hare,  
And lasteth till Midsummer no man will him spare.  
The season of the Wolf is used in each Country,  
As the season of the Fox and evermore will be.  
The season of the Boar is from the Nativity,  
Until the Purification of our Lady.  
For at the Nativity of our Lady sweet,  
Ye may find where he goeth by his feet:  
Both in woods and fields for Corn and other fruit,  
Where that after food he maketh any suit.  
Crabs, Acorns and Nuts where they grow,  
And Haws and Hips with other things mow.  
And till the Purification as ye may see,  
And then the Boar in season will be:  
For while the fruit doth last, his time is never past.   

NOw to speak of the Hare, how all shall be wrought,  
When that she hath with Hounds been sought:  
The first word that the Hunter to the Hounds pit,  
Is at the kennel door when he openeth it,  
That all may him hear, he shall say arere.  
For else his Hounds will come to hastily,  
And this is the first word of Venery.  
And when he hath coupled his Hounds each one,  
And that forth into the field he is gone:  
And when he hath cast off his couples at will,  
Then shall he speak and say them until.  
Horse de couple avaunt se avaunt twice so,  
And then so ho so ho thrice and no more.  
And then say sacy avaunt so ho I thee pray.  
And if you see your Hounds have good will to rene,  
And draw away from you say as I you learn:  
Here ho again them call so,  
Then swefe mon amy swefe to make them soft tho.  
And if any find that the Hare there doth go,  
And he a height Richard or beamond cry so.  
And if ye see that the Hare a pasture hath been,  
If it be in the time of the Corn that is green:  
And if your Hounds chase well at your will,  
Than you shall blow three notes loud and shrill.  
And any Hound find her musing on her mace,  
Where as she hath been and is gone from that place:  
Hasitouz cyeslile, so shall ye say,  
Veny arere so ho say as loud as you may.  
All manner of Beasts whatsoever chased be,  
Have one manner of word so ho I tell thee:  
To fulfil or until all manner of chase,  
The Hunter in his mouth that word hast.  
And if your Hounds chase at Hart or Hare,  
And they ren at default thus ye shall them far:  
I●o so how, assayne, assayne, stow ho ho,  
Say astayne arere, so ho these words and no more.  
And if your Hound run well at the Fox or Do,  
And so fail at default, say further ere ye go,  
Ho ho sweffe aluy douce aluy, that they here  
Ho hoy assayne sa arere.  
So ho so ho venes a coupler, and do as I ken,  
The more credise may you have among all men.  
Your art let not be hid, and do as I you bid,  
All my friends that be,  
This game may know of me.    

The Master Hunter maketh his report to his man, as followeth.  
THe master to the man maketh his boast,  
That he knoweth by kind what the heart cost,  
At Hunting evermore when goeth.  
Quoth the master to the man that were good  
For to know what he doth the Hounds before.  
What doth he before? (quoth the master to the man)  
He doth (quoth he) as ever thou mayest see,  
Break, and so doth no beast but he.  
When breaketh he, quoth the man, what is that you say,  
With his feet he openeth the earth when he goeth away.  
What is the cause master (quoth the man) I thee pray,  
When the Hart before the Hounds run his way,  
That then to the River he desireth to go.  
Quoth the master to the man there are causes two.   

For two causes the Hart desireth to go to the River: mark well these terms followeth, that is, descend and other.  
ONe cause for the River descend he is aye,  
And so he is to the water when he taketh the way.  
Why callest thou him descend (master) I thee pray,  
For he payeth of his might the sooth for to say.  
And another is to the water why he goeth otherwhile,  
The Hounds that him sue of purpose to be guile.  
Yet quoth the man to the master when or where,  
Into the water he leapeth, what maketh he there?  
He proffereth quoth the master, and so you shall say,  
For he wotteth not himself how to get away:  
Whether over the water he can forth pass,  
Or turn again the same way where he was.  
And therefore it is proffer as the Hunter's sane,  
And reproffer if the same way he turn again.  
At the other side of the water if he upstart,  
Than you shall call it the soil of the Hart.   

Now of the numbles, mark well the terms.  
THe man to his master requesteth his mind,  
That the numbles of the Hart he would forth find,  
How many ends there is them within:  
Quoth the master but one thicken or thin,  
The avaunters, the forcers:  
Yet would I wit and thou wouldst me lere,  
The crooks and the roundles, of the numbles of the Dear.  
One crook of the numbles lieth evermore  
Under the throtebole of the beast before:  
That called is avaunters who doth them ken,  
And the hindermost part of their numbles then:  
That is to say, the forcers lies ever between  
The two thighs of the beast that over crooks even  
In the midret that called is the rondel also  
For the sides round about carven it is fro.  
My dear friends bold, say of game thus I told.  
Yet would I learn master why these Hounds all,  
Bayen and cry when they him see shall:  
For they would have help that is their skill.  
For to slay the beast they run until.  
Tell me master (quoth the man) what doth it skill,  
Why the Hare would so feign run against the hill?  
Quoth the master for her legs be shorter before,  
And therefore she desireth to run that way evermore.  
What is the cause (qd. the man to the master, that you say of this best,  
That she always sitteth when she taketh rest?  
Because other beasts lain as commonly men say,  
For two causes (quoth the master) I tell thee plain:  
A cause there is and that is no less,  
For she beareth suet and pure grease.  
Yet would I (quoth the man) feign know more,  
Where the suet of the Hare lieth behind or before?  
Over the loin (quoth the master) of that Hare thou dost take,  
Between the tail and the chine, even on the back,  
Yet I would of thee Master of these lere,  
When thou walkest in the field with thy lymere:  
There as an Hare pastered hath or thou him see,  
To know fat or lean whether he be?  
I can quoth the master well tell thee this case,  
Wait well where he lay and where he fumed hase:  
Yellow and englamed if it be,  
Then is he fat, learn this of me.  
And if it be black and hard and clean,  
Then is he megre larbre and lean.  
And of this same thing learn of me,  
Take heed in the winter and thou shalt it see.  
Yet master, of the Hare feign would I learn more,  
What he doth when he goeth the Hounds before?  
He soreth and resoreth, and there he goeth away,  
Pricketh and repricketh the truth for to say.  
What's that quoth the man when they so done?  
That shall I quoth the master tell thee full seen.  
In the fields where he goeth there no ways been,  
There he soreth when he steppeth and may not be seen:  
And after when he doubleth and turneth not again,  
Then he resoreth as good Hunters sane.  
And when he runneth in way dry or wet,  
Then may you find footstalkes of cleys or feet:  
Then pricketh the Hare when he doth so,  
And repricketh when again he doth go.   

A vaunt, Lay, and Relay.  
Master yet quoth the man what is that to say?  
That will I tell thee in words full feet:  
When the Hounds are set an heart for to meet,  
And other chaseth and followeth him for to take:  
Then all these lays upon him do thou make.  
Even at his coming if thou let thy Hounds go,  
While the other behind be far of him fro:  
That is avaunt relay, and so shalt thou it call,  
For they are before those other Hounds all,  
And an hindering great all other until,  
For after that they have lost their will.  
And hold thy Hounds still if thou wilt do,  
Till all the Hounds that behind, be come to,  
Then let thy Hounds altogether go,  
That called is an allay, and look thou say so:  
And that yet is a hindering to them behind,  
For the rested will ever overgo them by kind.  
A relay is after when all the Hounds be past,  
For before with the Hart that hieth him fast.   

What is afforlone.  
Master, yet would I feign this at you leer,  
What is afforlone? for that is good to hear,  
That shall I tell (quoth he) the south at the least,  
When the Hounds in the wood seeketh any beast,  
And the beast is stole away out of the Frieth:  
Or the Hounds that thou hast meet there with,  
And any other Hounds before then may with them meet,  
These other Hounds then for learned I thee tell.  
For the Beast and the Hounts be so far before,  
That the Hounds behind be weary and sore:  
So that they may not have the beast at their will,  
The Hounds before forlorn, and that is their skill:  
They be so far before if you will me trust,  
And this is called forlorn if you learn lust.   

What three thing causeth the Hounds to endure.  
YEt would I master know thy will,  
When the Hounds run an Hart until,  
And the further they go the gladder they will be:  
For three causes quoth he as often thou shalt see.  
One is when the Hart runneth fast on his raise,  
He sweateth that it runneth down through his clays:  
The Hounds when they find of that his sweat,  
Then had they rather run and the loather to let.  
And another cause when the heart no more may,  
Then will he white froth cast where he goeth away:  
And when the Hounds find of that than they are glad,  
In hope they shall have him, and run as they were mad,  
The third cause when the Hart is nigh dead,  
Then out of his mouth he casteth froth and blood red:  
The Hounds know that he shall be taken soon then,  
And ever the further they go the gladder they ren.  
These are the causes three, which makes them glad to be:  
Which beast a slow Hound taketh as soon as a swift.  
What beast yet master I ask it for none ill,  
That most while all Hounds run until:  
And as soon the slowest shall him overtake,  
As the swiftest shall do what way so he make.  
That beast a Bauson hight, a Brock or a Grey,  
These three names he hath the sooth for to say:  
And this is the cause thereof, for he will by kind  
Go through thorns always the thickest he can find.  
There as the swift Hound may no further go,  
Then the flowest of foot be he never so throe.   

To undo the wild Boar.  
YEt my friends of the wild Boar to speak more,  
When you shall him undo I tell you before,  
Two and thirty pieces ye shall of him make.  
The first is the head what ever befall,  
Another is the collar, and so ye shall it call.  
The shield and the shoulder thereof shall two be,  
Then every side of the Swine departed in three.  
The pestelles and the gammons depart them in two,  
And two fillets he hath, forget not tho.  
Then take the legs and his feet and show your sleight,  
For they shall of his bredes be counted for eight.  
Take the thine and departed it in four pieces and no more,  
And take there your bredes thirty and two:  
And fair put the grease when it is taken away,  
Into the bladder of the Bore my friend I pray:  
For it is medicine for many manner of things.   

How you shall break up an Hart.  
TO speak of the heart while we think on,  
My friend first him serve and that done,  
And that is to say or ever ye him dight,  
Within his horns to lay him upright.  
Anon fat or lean whether that he be,  
At the assay cut him that Lords may him see.  
Then cut off the Cod the belly him fro  
Or ye begin him to slay, and then ye go  
At the chaules to begin assoon as ye may,  
And slit him down to the assay:  
And fro the assay over down to the belly ye shall slit,  
To the pissell where the Cod was away kit.  
Then slit the left leg even before,  
And then the left leg behind or ye do more:  
And these other legs that upon the right side,  
Upon the same manner slit ye that tide.  
Ind to the cheeks look that ye be priest,  
And so flay him down even to the breast:  
And so flay him forth right even to the assay,  
Even to the place where the Cod was cut away.  
Then flay the same likewise on the other side,  
But let the tail of the beast still abide.  
Then shall ye him undo my friend I you read,  
Right on his own skin and lay it abrede:  
Take heed of the cutting of the same Dear,  
And begin first to make thy erbere.  
Then take out the shoulders slitting anon,  
The belly to the side to the corbin bone,  
That is Corbins' fee, at the death he will be.  
Then take out the suet that it be not staft,  
For that my friend is good for leech craft:  
Then put thy hand softly under the breast bone,  
And there shall ye take out the erber anon.  
Then put out the paunch and from the paunch chase  
Away lightly the rate and such as he hase  
Hold it with a finger, do as I you ken,  
And with the blood and the grease fill it then.  
Look third that ye have and needle thereto,  
For to sow it withal ere ye more undo:  
The small guts ye shall out pit,  
From them take the maw forget not it.  
Then take out the liver and lay it on the skin,  
And after that the bladder without more din.  
Then dress the numbles first that ye reak  
Down the avauncers, carve that cleaveth to the neck,  
And down with the bowl throat put them anon,  
And carve up the flesh there unto the back bone:  
And so forth to the fillets that ye up arere,  
That falleth to the numbles and shall be there:  
With the neres also and the suet that there is,  
Even to the midriff that upon him is.  
Then take down the midriff from the sides hot,  
And heave up the numbles whole by the bolethrote.  
In thine hand then hold and look and see.  
That all that belongeth to them together be,  
Then take them to hold whom you trist.  
Whiles that thou them doubles and dress at thy list.  
Take away the lights and on the skin them lay,  
To abide the Querre my friend I you pray.  
Then shall ye slit the slough where the heart lieth,  
And take away the hears from it and flieth:  
For such hears hath his heart it upon,  
As men see in the beast when he is undone:  
And in the midst of the heart a bone ye shall find,  
Look ye give it to the Lord my friend by kind.  
For it is precious for many maladies,  
And in the midst of the heart evermore it lies.  
Then shall ye cut the shirts the teeth even fro.  
And after the ridge bone cut even so.  
The torches and the sides ever between,  
And look that your knives ay tharpe been.  
Then turn up the torches and frote them with blood.  
For to save grease, so do men of good.  
Then shall ye cut the neck the sides even fro,  
And the head from the neck cut also.  
The tongue, the brain, the paunch and the neck,  
When they washed be well with the water of the beak:  
The small guts to the lights in the deers,  
Above the heart of the beast when thou them tears.  
With all the blood that ye may get and win,  
Altogether take and lay on the skin,  
To give your Hounds that called is I wis,  
The Querre above the skin for it eaten is:  
And who dresseth so by my counsel,  
Shall have the best shoulder for his travail.  
And the right shoulder wheresoever he be,  
Give it to the foster that is his fee.  
And the liver also of the same beast,  
To the Foster's knave give it at the least.  
The numbles truss in the skin and the herdle fast,  
The sides and the torches that they together last:  
With the hinder legs, be done so it shall,  
Then bring it home and the skin withal.  
The numbles and the horns at thy Lords gates.  
Then boldly blow the price thereat,  
Your play for to nune or ye come in.   

Beasts of the Chase of sweet foot and of stinking.  
ANd those are the Buck, the Dough the Bear, the Raynder, the Eylke, the Spikerd, the Ottor and the Martrone.  
There be beasts of the Chase of the stinckling foot: the Roe buck, and the Roe, the Fulmard, the Iches, the Bawd, the Grey, the Fox, the Squirrel, the white Rat, the Sot, and the Polecat.   

The names of divers Hounds.  
FIrst there is a Greyhound, a Bastard, a apparel, a Mastiff, a Lemor, a Spaniel, Raches, Kenets, Terrors, Butchers Hounds, Dunghill dogs, Trindle tails, and prick eared Curs, and small Lady Puppies, that bear away the fleas and divers small faults.   

The properties of a good Greyhound.  
HEaded like a Snake, necked like a Drake, footed like a Cat, tailed like a Rat, sided like a bream, and chined like a Beam: The first year he learneth to feed, the second year to field him lead, the third he is fellow like the forth: the fourth year he is good enough, the fift year he is none like, the sixth year he shall hold the Plough, the seventh year he will avail great Biches to assail, the eight year lick ladle, the ninth year cart saddle: and when he is come to that year, have him to the Tanner.  
For the best Hound that ever you had,  
At the ninth year he is full bad.   

The proper terms and names of companies of Beasts and Fowls, with others.  

AN heard of Hares.  
An heard of all manner of Deer.  
An heard of Swans.  
An heard of Craines.  
An heard of Curlewes.  
An heard of Wrenes.  
An heard of Harlots.  
Any of Pheasants.  
A Bevie of Ladis.  
A cete of Greys.  
A Berry of Coneys.  
A Riches of Matrons.  
A Besenes of Firets.  
A brace of Greyhounds. ij.  
A lease of Greyhounds. iij.  
A couple of Spannielles.  
A couple of running Hounds.  
A litter of Whelps.  
A Kindle of young Cats.  
A Bevy of Roes.  
A Bevy of quails.  
A siege of Herons.  
A siege of Bytours.  
A sore or a suce of Mallards'.  
A muster of Peacocks.  
A walk of Snites.  
A congregation of people.  
An exalting of Larks.  
A watch of Nitinggales.  
An host of men.  
A fellowship of Yemon.  
A cherine of Goldfinches.  
A cast of bread.  
A couple or pair of Bottles.  
A flight of Doves.  
An unkindness of Ravens.  
A clattering of choughs.  
A dissimulation of Birds.  
A rout of Knights.  
A pride of Lions.  
A sieuth of Bears.  
A draft of Butlers.  
A proud showing of Tailors.  
A temperance of Cooks.  
A stalk of foster's.  
A boast of Soldiers.  
A laughter of Ostlers.  
A glozing of Taverners.  
A Malapertness of peddlers.  
A thrave of Thresher's.  
A squat of daubers.  
A fight of Beggars.  
A singular of Boars.  
A drift of tame Swine.  
A harrase of Horse.  
A rag of colthor or arake.  
A Baren of Mules.  
A trip of Goats.  
A gaggle of Geese.  
A brood of Hens.  
A badling of Ducks.  
A nonpatients of wives.  
A state of Princes,  
A though of Barons.  
A prudence of Vicaries.  
A superfluity of Nuns.  
A school of Clerks.  
A doctrine of Doctors.  
A converting of Preachers.  
A sentence of judges.  
A damning of jurours.  
An obeisance of servants.  
A seat of Ushers.  
A tygenes of Pies.  
A host of Sparrows.  
A swarm of Bees.  
A cast of Hawks of the Tewer, two.  
A lease of the same Hawks.  
A flight of goshawks.  
A flight of Swallows.  
A building of Rookes.  
A murmuration of stars.  
A rout of Wolves.  
An untruth of Sonners.  
A melody of Harpers.  
A poverty of Pipers.  
A subtlety of Sergeants.  
A Tabernacle of Bakers.  
A drift of Fishers.  
A disguising of Tailors.  
A bleach of Souters.  
A smear of Curriours.  
A cluster of Grapes.  
A cluster of Churls.  
A rag of Maidens.  
A raufull of knaves.  
A blush of boys.  
An uncredibilitie of Cokcolds.  
A covey of Partridges.  
A spring of Eels.  
A desert of Lapwings.  
A fall of Wodcocks.  
A congregation of Plovers.  
A covert of Cotes.  
A dole of Turtles.  
A skull of Friars.  
Abominable sight of Monks  
A scale of fish.  
An example of martyrs.  
A observance of hermits.  
An eloquence of Lawyers.  
A faith of Merchants.  
A provision of Stewards of houses.  
A kerfe of Painters.  
A credence of Sewers.  
A leap of Lybards.  
A shrewdness of apes.  
A sculke of Foxes.  
A nest of Rabits.  
A labour of Moles.  
A mute of Hounds.  
A kennel of Raches.  
A suit of Lyam.  
A cowardness of Curs.  
A sourd of wild Swine.  
A stod of Mares.  
A pace of asses.  
A drove of Niece.  
A flock of Sheep.  
A gaggle of women.  
A peep of Chickens.  
A multiply of Husband.  
A pontifica of Prelates.  
A dignity of Canons.  
A charge of Curates.  
A discretion of Priests.  
A disworship of Scots.    

Hear followeth the proper terms belonging to the breaking up or dressing of divers kinds of Beasts, and Fowls, and Fishes.  

A Dear broken.  
A Goose reared.  
An imbruing of Carvers.  
A safeguard of Porters.  
A blast of Hunters.  
A threatening of Courteours.  
A promise of Tapsters.  
A lying of Pardoners.  
A misbeléeve of Painters.  
A lash of Carters.  
A scolding of Gamesters.  
A wondering of Tinkers.  
A waywardness of Hayward's.  
A worship of Writers.  
A neverthriving of jugglers.  
A fraunch of Millers,  
A feast of Brewars.  
A goring of Butchers.  
A trinket of Coruisers.  
A pluck of Shooturners.  
A drunkenship of Cobblers.  
A cluster of Nuts.  
A rogue of teeth.  
A rascal of Boys,  
And Egg tired.  
A Friar trimbred.    

Of Fishes.  

A Salmon chined.  
A Pike splated.  
A Hadocke sided.  
A Chevin finned.  
A Sole loined.  
A Gurnard chined.  
A Tench sawsed.  
An Eel trounchened.  
A bream splayed,  
A Barble tusked.  
A Trout gobbetted.  
A Pig headed and sided.  
A Capon sawsed.  
A Chevin frushed.  
A Conie unlased.  
A Craine displayed.  
A Curlew unjointed.  
A pheasant alete.  
A Quail winged.  
A Plover cuinsed.  
A Pigeon thied.  
A Brawn leched.  
A Swan lift.  
A Lamb shouldered.  
A Kid shouldered,  
A Hen spoiled.  
A Mallard unbrased.  
A Heron dismembered.  
A Peacock disfigured.  
A Butter untached.  
A Partridge alet.  
A Rail breasted.  
A Woodcock thied.    

You shall say thus.  

A heart harboureth.  
A Quire loggeth.  
A Tyman beddeth.  
Shouldering or leaving.  
A Woodcock breaking.  
A Buck lodgeth.  
A Roe bedeth.  
An Hare in his form.  
A Conie sitting.    

The true and perfect measure of blowing.  
FIrst when you go into the field, blow with one wind one short, one long, and a longer.  
To blow to the coupling of the Hounds at the Kennel door, blow with one, one long and three short.  
The second wind one long, and short, and a short.   

To blow to the field.  
BLow with two winds: with the first one short, and long, and two short.  
With the second wind, one short, one long, and a longer.   

To blow in the field.  
WIth two winds, the first two short, one long and two short.  
The second, one short, one long and a longer.  
To uncouple thy Hounds in the Field: three long notes, and with three winds.   

To blow to seek.  
TWo Winds: The first a long and a short, the second a long.   

When the Hounds hunt after a game unknown blow thus.  
BLow the Veline, one long, and six short: the second wind, two short and one long. The third wind one long, and two short.   

To draw from Covert to Covert.  
Three winds, two short, one long and two short. The second, one long and a short. The third, one long.   

To blow the earthing of the Fox when he is coverable.  
Four notes with four winds. The relief, one long, six short.   

To blow if the Fox be not coverable.  
TWo winds, one long and three short. The second wind long.   

To blow the death of the Fox in field or covert.  
Three notes, with three winds, the recheat upon the same with three winds.  
THe first wind, one long and six short. The second, one short and one long. The third, one long and five short.   

The death of the Fox at the Lords gate.  
Two notes, and then the relief three times.   

The death of the Buck either with Bowor Hounds, or grey hounds.  
ONe long Note.   

The knowledge upon the same.  
TWo short and one long.   

The death of the Buck with hounds.  
TWo long notes and the rechait.   

The price of an heart rial.  
NIne Notes with three rests. The Rechale with three winds. The first, one long and five short. The second, one long and one short. The third, one long and six short.   

To blow the call of the keepers of any Park or forest.  
ONe short, one long, and a longer. If the Keeper answer you, blow two short with one wind, and draw towards him. And after that blow one short.   

When the game breaketh covered.  
Four with three winds, and the Rechale upon the same,  
The stint when the bounds can hunt no further.  
With three winds, the first, one long and six short. The second, one long and one short. The third, one long.   

Where the Fox is earthed blow for the Terriers after this manner.  
ONe Long and two short. The second wind one long and two short.  
Note this, for it is the chiefest and principallest point to be noted.  
Every long containeth in blowing seven quavers, one Minome and one quaver.  
One Minome containeth four quavers.  
One short containeth three quavers.   
The end of the measures of blowing.   

A brief Treatis of Fowling. Wherein is contained divers proper devices both of Baits and others, with the making of birdlime, the manner and order in using of it on your Limerods: with many other special points appertaining to that Exercise.   

A brief Treatise of Fouling: wherein is contained divers proper Devises both of Baits and others: with the making of Birdlime, the manner and order in using of it one your Limerods: with many other special points. as appertaineth to that Exercise.  
AS to the ornament of the air belongeth birds and fowls, (as Beda saith) which I mean in this Treatise to set forth. Birds be called Aves, as it were divide without way: (as Pliny saith) for their ways in the air are not distinguished in certain, and birds with moving of their wings divide and departed the air: but anon after the flight, the air closeth itself, and leaveth no sign or token of their passage and flight. And fowls be called Volucres, and have that name of Volary to fly: for birds fly with wings, (as Isodore saith) and therefore they be called Alites, as it were Alates: that is, moving and rearing up themselves with wings: for they fly not without wings, nor arere themselves from the earth up into the air without the benefit of their wings: or else a bird is called Alice, and hath that name of Alendo, feeding: for he is fed of himself that feedeth birds and fowls of heaven, and giveth meat to all flesh. (as Isidore saith.)  
The condition and properties of birds be known by divers things, by their substance and complexion: for the substance of birds▪ and fowls be made of two middle Elements that be between the two Elements that be most heavy and most light: for in their compositions and making, air and water hath most mastery? and therefore they have less of earthly heavens, and more of lightness of the air than beasts that go on land and swim on water. By lightness of the substance they be borne up into the air, (as Isidore saith) and the air that is closed in the hallownes of pens and feathers, maketh a bird light, and disposeth and maketh him able and helpeth him to move upward. Also the condition of birds is known by generation, for they have a feminall virtue of kind plight in them, and by virtue thereof they be kindly moved to increase their kind by deed of generation, and to keep their kind in order: As it is said of Aristotle, all birds (saith he) and fowls when they bring forth birds lay Eggs, though it cannot be seen in all for scarcity: and the beginning of a generation of a bird, as it is said, it cometh of the white, and his meat is the yolk: and after ten days of the generation a bird is full shapen in all parts, and the parts be openly distinguished and known, but then his head is greater than all his body: and if the Egg shell were then broken, the head should be found bowed upon the right thigh, and his wings spread upon the head.  
When the generation of all the members is perfectly made, and liniation and shape of the members, the shell breaketh sometime the eightéenth day, or the twentieth day, as it fareth in Hens, and then the Chickens come out of the shell alive, being full shaped, and sometime twain out of one shell. Among all beasts that be in order of generation, birds and Fowls be most honest of kind: for by order of kind, Males seek Females with business, and love them when they be found, and fight, and put them in peril for them, and be joined to them only as it were by covenant and wedding, love and nourish, and feed only the birds that they get, and so kindly they deem and know between sex and sex, male and female, except few, (whom kind goeth out of kind) as Aristotle showeth an example of the Partredge, that forgetteth his sex, that is, to understand the dissolution of male and female, and so he saith, that the male leapeth upon the male, and the female upon the female. But of the Eggs that come of such treading, come no Birds, but they be as wind Eggs, and take an evil savour of such treading, and an evil stinch. And Birds and Fowls engendering keep covenable time, for in spring time when the generation cometh in, birds cry and sing, males draw to company of females, and desire each other of love, and woe with beaks and voice, and build Nests, and lay Eggs, and bring forth birds, and when the birds be gendered, they feed and nourish them, and bring them up, but when the office of generation is full ended, than they cease of song, and departed from each other, and come not together till the time of generation cometh again.  
Also birds and fowls be known by the places that they dwell in, for some birds and fowls as me seemeth, love company, and dwelleth nigh men, as Hens, Geese, Sparrows, Storks and Swallows, and some dread and fly, and be afraid of conversation of men, as fowls of woods, of mountains and marries, for by their divers complexious, they seek and challenge divers manners of places to inhabit in.  
As we may see in our own country of England, some fowls use some shires more than other some, and in some shires there come none of some Fowls at all, as they do in other shires. For those that be cold and moist of kind use marish and rivers for gathering of meat, and making of Nests for sitting abroad, and for to bring up and nourish their young Birds: and Foules that be of more hot and dry kind, dwell on Mountains and on high Rocks and stones, as Birds and Fowls that live by prey: as Eagles and Faulkons, and other such, to the which, kind giveth crooked Claws and strong feet.  
Also some wood fowls use and dwell in Woods and thick tops of trees, and some of those be more mild than other, as Birds that sing in summer time with sweet notes in woods and trees.  
And other birds there be that live only in fields, and use to be therein, and get their meat, and eat continually of the fruit of the earth, as Cranes and Geese both wild and tame, and such fowls love to dwell together, both on the ground and on the air, and go and fly together in herds, and leave their own kind, and make a King among them.  
Seeing I have declared the nature and property of fowls in the air, I thought good to set down some rules belonging to Fouling, to help to further some in that practice, which would feign learn and hath no teacher: which both to the pleasuring of them and small labour of myself, I have done my good will.  
First of fouling with Limetwigges, and how we should set our Limetwigs for sorts of Fowl. You must choose Lime-twigs of those twigs that grow on the body of the tree, and not of no bow twigs, for that they be britell and will not hold, but will snap a two, but the twigs that grow on the body of the tree are young bending twigs, and you must have to your whole set a thousand just: there is also divers other manners of fouling, as with Nets, Springs, baits and snares, with divers others. But to speak first of fouling with Lime-twigs, as some are set low and some high, and that is as we know the haunt of the foul that uses to that place, whether they be Geese, Ducks, Sknipes, or Hearnes, or Craines, or any other manner of foul that uses to the place that you set your Limerods in. If you set your Rods for Wild Geese, you must stick them in a manner upright, and half a yard asunder, which is almost narrow enough for a Sknipe: but if you should stick them any closer, there would no foul venture at all, for the wild Goose is the suttlest foul of any, for when she lighteth, she lighteth most commonly in the deepest waters for fear of deceit, and if she come out of the water to come to land, she will spy to see if she can spy any thing before her: if she spy any thing she will into the water again: but ever when you stick your Rods, stick them so that the tails of your Rods may be towards the water, (if you stick them by any River side) and the heads of your Rods scooping from the River, that the foul may come with the Rods: for there is no foul that will come against the Rods, nor is not able almost if they would: but being your Rods turned from the River, they will be the bolder to go onwards, and then they can no way escape. And so likewise set your Rods about the whole plat that you set, with their tails outward, and their heads stooping inward, for the foul will be the bolder to go amongst your Rods, if they chance to light beside them: but you must give good attendance upon your Rods, lest that the foul which is tangled do pick themselves and get away again, but you must lie very close lest that the foul do chance to spy you: but if it be somewhat darkish that you cannot espy whether there be any foul lighted among your Rods, then go to your Rods and give ashue, and if that there be any they will flutter strait and fly upward: and if that there be none, then take your staff and beat the Rivers and Lakes within half a mile compass once or twice, if you be able to compass it, or more, and then shall you have them resort to you Limerods very thick: for he that minds to catch any, must so travel that he leave no Lakes or Springs unsearched, and see that your Limerods be set some what low round about at the very entering, for that is good for all manner of foul: but if that they be set high within, it is good reason that the foul doth shut her wings before she is altogether at the ground, and see that you do set your Rods within one another about three quarters or half a yard asunder almost: and if it freeze hard, you must trim them with a little new Lime and Goose grease mingled together, and that will keep them long from freezing. And if there be any special place which fowls do resort to, as in deep waters and running Rivers, and that the River is deep that you cannot set your Rods in, then take a pole or a cord, and a long hay rope that will wind round about the length of the pole, then take your Limerods and stick them very thick and lose withal, and then lay your pole or poles over the River, and thrust the end of your pole within the bank, and tie the other end of you pole next to you to the bank side, and see that your pole be a pretty way within the water, and that the heads of your Rods do stand close to the water: and thus may you set as many poles or cords as you think the place doth desire, and stick your Rods very loosely that they may go with the foul as soon as they touch them.  
Good Spaniel a treasure to Fouler sure is,  
To help him sometime else oft should he mis:  
For water and land it is a good thing,  
A Spaniel to have his game for to bring.  
Also there is another manner of way to catch in the water with small cords being tied overthwart the water, and lime them as you do your Limerods with good water lime (as we call it) though indeed it is but Birdlime, but it is tempered to hold within the water, which if you let the cords be but a little within the water that it may scarce cover it: and if the water be broad, then take a Cork or two and tie them to your Line to hold it up. This is a pretty way and not to be suspected.  

How to make Birdlime very pure.  
FIrst pill the Bark from the Holly tree about Midsummer, then boil the same bark till the utter rind will pill from the green bark, which will be within one day, then lay the same inner bark so peeled in some close place on the ground, and cover the same with some green weeds or docks till it be well rotten, which will be within nine days or thereabout, then either beat it in mortars or grind it very small, and then in some quick stream wash it very clean, then put it in a pot of earth and it will spurge within three days, then take of the scum twice or thrice, for if there be any filth left in it, it will rot the Lime. After this keep the Lime very close till you have need to occupy it, mingle a little Hog's grease with it, and so many you work your Rods with it. Therefore as it is mentioned of the Poet, the Wosell or Robin is a great cherisher of the Holly tree, as Terence saith, Turdus cacat sibi malum, he maketh a Rod for his own tail, for the dung of the Wosell cherisheth much the Holly tree, which afterwards turns to his own sorrow.   

A rare secret to catch foul, as Geese, Ducks, or Birds.  
NVxe vomica, otherways called in English the Spring Nut, being a pretty deal of that sod in a peck of Barley, or as little as you think good, or Fetchis, or Wheat, and being strewed where wild Geese or wild Ducks come, and as soon as they eat of this they will sound, and you may take them will your hand. Also the powder of Nuxe vomica is good to kill Kites, Ravens, Pies, Crows, or any other carronus foul. Also take a piece of flesh and lay it in the field, and make holes in it, then put in the powder of Nuxe vomica in every hole, and as soon as any foul eats of this, they will be overcome, and then they will fly boult upright, and fall down to the ground strait again, and so you may take them.   

Another pretty way to make birds drunk that you may take them with your hand.  
TAke Wheat or Fitchis, or any other seed, and lay the same insteepe in lees of wine, or in the juice of Hemlock, and straw the same in the place where Birds use to haunt, and if they eat thereof, strait ways they will be so giddy, that you may take them with your hand.   

An excellent good way to make a bait to catch wild Geese, or wild Ducks, and all other sort of foul.  
TAke the seed of Belenge, and the roots also, and steep them in water the space of a day and a night: then seethe the said seeds and roots in the water that they were steeped in, so that the seeds may well drink & soak up the water, then lay the said seeds or grain in the places where wild Ducks and wild Geese and wont to resort, and they will eat this grain or seed so prepared, and thereupon will sleep as they were drunk, and in the mean time you may take them with your hands: but there must be a pretty quantity of this, especially for wild Geese. This may also serve to take all other manner of foul that go together in shoals or companies. If you seethe this grain in Brimstone, and lay it in the places where birds and fowls are wont to feed, all that eat of it will fall down and die: but to keep them that they die not, you must give them to drink Oil Olive, and shortly after they will revive again. This is approved.   

Of fouling with Limebush.  
TO speak of Limebush there can be but little said, for it is commonly known and practised of all both in Winter and Summer. In Winter it is used with Limebush, which we call Bat fouling, along by hedges to catch those birds that rest in hedges, one to carry a light and another to beat the hedge: as also the Limebush is used at house ends, hovels or Rickes: the Limebush is of little cost, and is good for all times of the year. In Summer you may call Sparrows with a whistle to your bush. There is another pretty way to catch birds with your Limebush, if you can get but an Owl & set her upon an hedge, and set a bush of two by her of one side of her, & when the birds espy her they will flutter about her, and you shall catch good store of Birds. In Winter you have many other ways good.   

How to foul with Nets.  
ALso there is another manner of way to foul which is with Nets, but the use of them is in the night, and the darkest night the better: and first of fouling with Nets, which we call in England most commonly Birdbaiting, and some call it lowbelling, and the use of it is to go with a great light of Cressets, or rags of linen dipped in Tailow that will make a good light, and you must have a pan of plate made like a Lantern to carry your light in, which must have a great socket to hold a great light, and carry it before you on your breast with a Bell in your other hand of a great bigness, made in manner like to a Cowbel, but of greater bigness, and you must ring it always after one order, with two to go with Nets one of each side of him that carries the Bell, and what with the light that so doth amaze them, and the Bell that so doth astonish them, they will when you come near them turn up their white bellies, which you shall quickly perceive, then lay your Nets on them and take them: but the Bell must not stint going: for if it cease, than the Birds will fly up if they hear any more nigh. This is a good way to catch Larks, Woodcocks, and Partridges, and all other land birds,   

To go with a Trammill.  
TO go a trameling with a Net it is a good way, for two may go abroad with a Tramell and catch store. You must have your Net seven yards of length, and five in breadth, then take a couple of Paul's or long rods, so long as your Net is, and tie your poles to your Nets all along the length of your Nets, one of one side, and the other of the other side, then may you take your paul in your hand, and pluck out your paul out of breadth, and one go in one thorough of the land and another in the other thorough, and go along in lands and carry your Net as far forwards as you can, and when they hear you tread, then will they flutter up into your Net, which you shall quickly hear, then let down your Net to the ground, and gripe them, and take them from under your Net, but if it be in a very dark night, that you cannot see them, you should have a little close Lantern, that one may perceive no light, but when it is opened to see to take them, but we commonly make shift without.   

To set Springs.  
ALso some use to set Springs, which is made with a running knot, and a stick in the ground to yerk up with an other stick which the foul must tread one, which is in manner like to a trop or running knot which is made of hears, which is good to be set in frost time in springs for Woodcocks and Snipes, or any other foul if they come where that springs be set, or you may set them in Lands in the very thorough for Woodcocks, where you know that they haunt, and in Summer you may set them in bushes either for Woodcocks or any other birds, and you must look that the stick that they tread on be somewhat round and brown, for if it be white, they will fear to tread of it: and your noose must be made of horse hear, and the blacker the better.    
The end of Fouling.  

A brief Treatis of Fishing, with the art of Angling. Wherein is contained the perfect making of all manner of Implements appertaining to that exercise: the divers and several baits for every kind of Fish, with the best times of the year for the taking of them.   

A brief Treatise of Fishing, with the Art of Angling: wherein is contained the perfect making of all manner of Implements appertaining to that exercise: The divers and several baits for every kind of fish, with the best times of the year for the taking of them.  
AS the wise man saith, a good spirit maketh a merry and flourishing age, and causeth a man to live long: and truly in my opinion, these three things are a medesine, and a preservation for the same. The first of them is, a merry thought. The second is, labour not outrageous. The third is, diet measurable. The first, if a man will evermore be in a merry thought, and have a glad spirit, he must eschew all contrarious company, and all places of debate, where he may have any occasion of melancholy, and he must eschew all places of Riot, which is occasion of surfeit and sickness, and he must draw him to places of sweet air, and eat nourishing meats and delectable.  
As now I mean to descrive these disports and games, to find the best of them as truly as I could, and although the right Noble and worthy Duke of York, late master of the game, hath described this art of Fishing, and the rest of these pleasures and disports. For hunting in mine opinion is laboursome, for the Huntsman must follow his hounds, sweeting full sore, he bloweth till his lips blister, and when he thinks he hath a Hare, full oft it is a Hedgehog. Thus he chaseth up and down, and knoweth not sometimes at what. He cometh home at night rain beaten and pricked, and his clothes torn all to pieces, wet-shod and all miry, and some of his hounds lost, and some surbated. Such griefs and many other happen unto the Huntsmen, which for displeasing of them that love it I dare not report: thus truly me thinketh it is not the best game and disport of the four.  
Hawking is labourous and troublous: for as often the Falconer loseth his Hawks, as the Hunter his Hounds, then is his game and disport gone, yea, and full often he crieth and whistleth, till he almost loseth his wind, his Hawk sometime taketh above, and giveth no mind nor sight to him: for when he would have her fly, than she will bathe: with misféeding she will have the frounce, and many other diseases that bringeth to souse. Thus by proof, this is not the best disport and game of the said four. In my opinion the game of Fouling is the simplest: for in Winter in cold weather, the Fouler can do no good, but in the hardest and coldest weather, which is grievous: for when he would go to his gins, he cannot for cold: many a devise he maketh, and yet in the morning his fortune is hard, when he is wet up to the waste. Many discommodities I could show, but for offending I let them pass. Then sith it is so, that Hawking, Hunting, and Fouling be so laborious, that none of them may be a mean to a merry spirit, which is the cause of long life, unto the sayings of the wise in his Parables: doubtless then it must follow, that fishing with the Angle is most delectable, for all other are troublesome and laberous: For in some kind of fishing it maketh the Fisher through wet and so cold, that many and sundry times there ensueth divers infirmities through the same: But the Angler he hath no cold, no disease, no impediment, except it be through himself: for he can lose but a Line or a Hook at the most, which he may make again at his own leisure, as he shall be taught hereafter: So than is not his loss grievous if the fish break away with his Hook, that is the most: for and he fail of one, he hitteth of another: and if he quite fail, yet he hath his wholesome walks, his pleasant shades, the sweet air, the excellent smells of the sweet Meadow flowers, which maketh him hungry: he heareth the melodious Harmony of Birds and other Fowls, which he thinketh is better than the noise of Hounds, the blast of Horns, or all the cry that Hunters, Falconers, or fowlers can make: and if the Angler do take fish, then hath he a mercy spirit, and a glad heart. But who so will use this exercise, he must rise early, which is profitable to man for the health of his body: For as the old English Proverb is, who so doth rise early shall be holy, healthy, and happy. Thus I have showed in this Treatise, that this disport and game of Angling, is the very mean to induce a man to a merry spirit. And to the content of all those that have delight in these exercises, I have collected this Treatise following, which you may use at your pleasure.  
IF you will be perfit in this art of Angling, you must first learn to make your Implements: that is to say, your Rod, and your Lines of divers colours: This done, you must know how you must angle, and in what place of the water, how deep, and at what time of the day, and for what manner of Fish, and what weather, how many impediments there be in fishing, and specially in Angling, and what bait belongeth to every fish every time of the year: And how you shall make your baits breed, where you shall find them, and how you shall keep them for the most part: How you shall make your Hooks of Steel, and of Osmonde, some for the Dub, some for the Float, and for the ground. And here I will teach you how you shall make your Rod: you shall cut it between Michalmas and Candlemas, of an ell and a half long, being the arm of a great Hasell, Willow, or Asp, and beth him in a hot Oven, and set it even and strait, and let it coal a month, then take a cord and bind it fast about, and bind it to a form or to a piece of square timber: then take a Plumber's wire that is even and straight, and sharp the one end and heat it in the fire and Charcoal, and burn the hole quite through in the pith, beginning at both ends and go on too the middle: you may burn the hole with a Bird broach, but let the last broach be bigger than any of them before, then let it lie and cool two days, unbind it and let it lie in the smoke, or the roof of a house, till it be through dry. In the same season cut a yard of green Hasell, and beth it even and straigh, and let it dry with the staff: and when it is dry make it fit for the hole in the staff, unto the half length of the staff: and to fill the other half of the crop, take a fair shoot of Black thorn, Crab tree Medler, or else of juniper, cut in the same season, and well bethed and strait, and set them fit together, so that the crop may enter all into the said hole, then shave your staff and make it Tapar wise, than hoop the staff at both ends with long hoops of iron, or latten after the cleanliest manner, and a pike in the neither end fastened with a running wire to take in and out of your staff, and set your crop a handful within your upper end of your staff, in such wise that it be as biggethere as in any other place above, then arm your staff down to the fret with a Line of six hears, and double the Line and fret it fast on with a piece of a bow: And thus you shall make you a staff to walk with, and no man may know whether you have such Implements about you: It will be very light and nimble to fish with at your pleasure, and is always very ready and necessary.  
AFter you have thus made your Rod, you must learn to colour your Lines of hear after this manner. You must take of a white Horse tail the longest hears you can get, and the bigger and rounder it is, the better it is, depart them in six parts, and colour every part by himself in divers colours: as yellow, green, tawny, brown, russet, or dusky colour: And for to make your hear take a good creene colour, you must take a quart of Ale, and put into it half a pound of Allom, and put your hear and all together in a little pan, and let them boil softly half an hour, then take out your hear and let them dry, then take a pottle of fair water, and put it into a pan, and two handfuls of Wexen, and press it with a Tile stone, and let it boil softly the space of an hour: and when it is yellow on the scum, put therein your hears, with half a pound of Copperous beaten into powder, and let it boil the space of going of half a mile, and then set it down and let it cool the space of five or six hours, then take out the hear and dry it, and it will be the best green for the water that can be, and the more that you put of Copperous to it the better it will be.  

For to make your hear yellow.  
Dress it as before with Allom, and after with Oldes, or Waxed, with Copperous or Verdigreace.   

To make another yellow.  
TAke a pottle of small Ale, and stamp thereinto three handfuls of Walnut leaves, and put it together, and then put in your hear that it be as deep as you will have it.   

For to make Russet hear.  
TAke a pint of strong Lée, and half a pound of Sote, and a little juice of Walnut leaves, and a quart of Allom, put them altogether in a Pan, and boil them well, and when it is cold put in your hear till it be as dark as you will have it.   

To make your hear brown.  
TAke strong Ale and Sault, and mingle them together, and put your hears two days and two nights and they will be a perfect colour.   

For to make a tawny colour.  
TAke Lime and water, and put them together, and then put your hears therein four or five hours, then take them out, and put them into a Tanner's Ose one day, and it will be as fine a tawny colour as can be for your purpose.  
The sixth part of your hear, you shall keep still white for lines, for the double hook to fish for the Trout, & for small lines to lie for the roche and the Dace.  
When your hear is thus collected, you must know for which waters and which seasons they shall serve, the green colour for all clear waters from April until September. The yellow colour in every clear water from September to November. For it is like the Weeds and other kind of grass that is broken in the River. The russet colour serveth all the Winter until the end of April, as well in Rivers as in Pools or lakes.  
The brown colour serveth for the water that is blackish, in Rivers or other waters: the tawny colours, for those rivers or waters that be heathy or morish.  
Now you must make your lines after this order. First you must have an inscrument for the twisting of your line. Take your hear and cut off a handful at the end, because it is not strong enough, then turn the top to the tail over each alike, and make it into three parts, and knit every part by himself, and knit the other end altogether: then put that end fast into your instrument into the cleft, and make it fast with a wedge, four fingers shorter than your hear, then twine your warp one way alike, and fasten them in three cliffs alike strait, then take that out at the other end, and let it twine that way that it desireth, than strain it a little, and knit it for undoing, and that is good.  
So when you have so many links as will suffice for a line to make it long enough, then must you knit them together with a water knot, or a Dutch knot, and when your knot is knit, cut of the void shore ends a straw breadth from the knot, thus shall your lines be fair and even: and also sure for any manner of Fish.  
The finest practice is in making your hockes, and for the making of them you may have your several kind of tools that you may do them artificially. A semi clam of iron, a bendor, a pair of long and small tongues, and a knife somewhat hard and thick, an Anuild, and a little hammer.  
And for a small Fish you shall take the smallest quarrel Needles that you can find of Steel: and you shall put the Quarrel in a fire of Charcoal till it be of the same colour that the fire is, then take it out and lay it to cool, and you shall find it well allayed to file, then raise the beard with your knife, and make the point sharp, then allay him again or else he will break in the bending, then bend him as he will serve for your purpose, you shall make them of great Needles, as shoemakers Needles, tailors needles, or imbroderers Needles: but look that they will bow at the point or else they be not good, and when you have beaten flat the end of the hook, file him smooth that it fret not the line, the put it into the fire, and give it an easy red heat, then suddenly quench it in water, and it will be hard and strong. And for to have knowledge of your Instruments that be necessary, without the which you are not able to accomplish your desire, that is, your Hammer, Knife, Pynson, Claem, Wedge, File, Wrist, and a Needle.  
When you have made your hooks, than you must set them on according to their strength and greatness. First take small red silk, and if it be for a great hook then double it and twist it, and for a small hook let it be single, and therewith fret the line where as you will have the hook stand, a straw breadth, then set to your hook and fret it with the same thread the two parts, of the length that it shall be fret in all, and when you come to the third part, then turn the end of your line up again double, to the other third part, then put your thread in at the hole twice or thrice, and let it go each time about the yard of your hook: then wet the hook and draw, and look that your line lie evermore within your hooks, and not without, and then cut of the lines end, and the thread as nigh as you can, saving the fret.  
So, ye know with how great Hooks you shall angle to every fish, now I will tell with how many hears you shall angle for every fish. First for the Menowe with a line of one hear: For the waring Roche, the Bleak, the Gogion, and the Ruff, with a line of three hears: For the Dace and the Roch, with a line of three hears: For the Perch, the Flounder, and Bremet, with a line of four hears: For the Chevin, the bream, the Tench, and the Eel, with six hears: For the Troute, and the grazing Barble, and the great Chevin, with nine hears: For the great trout with twelve hears: For the Salmon, with fifteen hears: and for a Pike with a chalk line made in the colour aforesaid, armed with a line, as you shall hear hereafter. When I speak of the Pike, your Lines must be plumed with lead, and the nearest plumb to the Hook, be a foot of at the least, and every plumb of the quantity of the bigness of the line: There be three manner of plumbs, for a ground line, running, and for the slote: set upon the ground line lying, ten plumbs all joining together on the ground line, running, nine or ten small: the float plumb shall be heavy, that the first pluck of any fish may pull it into the water, and make your plumbs round and smooth, that they stick not on stones and weeds.  
THen you shall make your slotes in this manner. Take a piece of a Cork that is clean without holes, and bore it through with a small hot iron, and put thereinto a quill or pen even and strait: always note that the greater the hole, the bigger the pen, and shape it great in the midst, and small at both ends, and especially sharp in the neither end, and make them smooth on a Grindstone, and look that the float for one hear be no bigger than a Peas, for two hears as a Beam, for twelve hears as a Walnut, and so every line must have according to his portion. All manner of lines that be not for the ground, must have floats: & the running ground line must have a float, and the lying ground line must have a float.  
NOw I have taught you to make your hears, hereafter I mean to show you the art of Angling. You shall understand that there is six manner of Anglings: the one is at the ground for the trout, and other fish: another is at the ground at the Arch or stang where it ebbeth and floweth, for Bleak, Roch, and Dace: the third is with a float for all manner of fish: the fourth, with a Menowe for the trout without plumb or float: the fift is running in the same for the roche and Dace with two hears or one hear, and a fly: the fixed is a dubbed hocke for the trout or Grailing. And for the first and principal point in Angling, look that you keep you from the sight of the fish, either stand close on the land, or behind some bush: for if he see you, than your sport is marred for he will not bite, and look that you shadow not the water as little as you can, for it is that which will make him be gone: for if the fish be frayed he will not bite a good while after. For all manner of fish that feed by ground, you must angle for them to the bottom, so that your hook shall run and lie on the ground: and for all other fish that feedeth above, you shall angle for them at the midst of the water, or above the midst, or below the midst whether ye will, for the greater the fish, the nearer he lieth to the bottom of the water, and evermore the smaller the fish, the more he swimmeth above. The third good point, is when the fish biteth, that you be not too hasty to smite nor to take: for you must abide till the bait be far in the mouth of the fish, and then tarry no longer, and this is for the ground: and for the float when you see it pulled into the water, or else carried softly upon the water, then smite, and look that you never over-smite the strength of your line for breaking: And if it be your fortune to smite a great fish with a small line, than you must lead him in the water, and labour him there till he be drowned and overcome, then take him as well as you can, and ever take heed that you strain him not over the strength of your line, and as much as you can let him not go past your lines end from you, but keep him ever under your Rod, and hold him as straight as your line will sustain, and bear his leaps and his plunges as well as you can with your Crope in your hand.   

Here I will declare unto you, in what place of the water you shall angle, either in Poole or standing water, & according to the deepness of the said water.  
THere is no great diversity in any place of a Pool, so it be deep, for it is a prison to all fishes, and therefore the sooner taken: but in the River the best angling is where it is deep, and clear by the ground, as gravel or clay without mud or weeds, and especially if there be any whirling in the water, or a covert, as a hollow bank or great roots of Trees, or long weeds fleeting above the waters, where the fish may hide themselves at certain times when they list. Also it is good to angle in stiff streams, and also in valleys of waters, and in flood gates, and Mill pits, and at the bank where the stream runneth, and is deep and clear by the ground, and in any place where the fish haunt and have any feeding.  
Now you shall understand the best time of the year, and the best times of the day, from the beginning of May to September: the best time of their baiting is from four a clock in the morning until eight a clock, and from four in the after noon till eight at night: but it is not so good in the afternoon as in the morning: and if it be a cold wind and a lowering day it is much better than a clear day, and the Pool fishes will bite best in the morning.  
And if you see at any time of the day the Trout or the Grailing leap, angle for him with a dub according to the season of the year, and where the water ebbeth and floweth: the fish will bite in some place at the ebb, and in some place at the flood, after they have had resting behind Stanges and Arches of Bridges, and other such places.  
The principal time to angle is in a lowering day, when the wind bloweth softly: for in Summer when it is very hot than it is nought: from September until April in a fair Sunny day, it is very good angling, and if the wind at that time have any part of the Orient weather, than it is nought: and when it is a great wind & that it snoweth, raineth, or haileth, or is a great tempest, as Thunder or Lightning, or a swollie hot weather, than it is nought for to angle.  
You shall further understand that there be twelve empediments, which cause a man to take no fish, as it doth most commonly hap. The first is if that your harness be not fit and well made. The second is if your baits be not good and fine. The third is, if you angle not in biting time. The fourth is, if the fish be afraid with the sight of man. The fift, if the water be red, thick, and white, of any flood lately fallen: the sixth, if the Fish stir not for cold: the seventh, if the weather be hot: the eight, if it rain: the ninth, if it hail or snow: the tenth, if it ibe a tempest: the elevent, if it be a great wind: the twelfth is, if the wind be in the East, and that is worst, for commonly neither in winter nor summer the fish will not bite if it be in the East, the West or the North is good, but the South is best of all.  
And now I have taught you to make your harness, and how you shall fish therewith in all points. Now there resteth to show you what baits be best for every kind of fish, for all times and seasons of the year, which is the principal part of this art: without the knowledge of which baits, all the rest before were to no purpose: for there is no man can take the fish to swallow the hook without the bait, and therefore I have set you down every Fish with his proper bait belonging to the time, and the best time to catched them as followeth.   

And because the Salmon of all fish is the most stateliest, therefore I mean to begin with him the first.  
THe Salmon is a very gentle fish, but he is troublesome to take, for commonly he is in deep places of great Rivers, and for the most part he will keep him in the midst of it, that you may not come at him, and he is in season from March, until Michaelmas: in which season you may angle for him, with these baits if you can get them. First with a red worm in the beginning and ending of the season, and also with a grub that breedeth in a dunghill, and especially there is a sovereign bait that breedeth in a water Dock, and he biteth not at the ground, but at the float, you may take him when he leapeth in like manner as doth a Trout or a Grailing, and these are proved baits for the Salmon.  
The Trout because he is a dainty Fish, and also a very fervent biter: he is the next that I mean to show you the time to catch him. From March until Michalmas he lieth on the gravel, and in a stream you may angle for him with a line, lying or running, saving in leaping time, and then with a dub, and early with a running ground line, and in the day time with a float line. You shall angle for him in March, with a Menowe hanging on your hook, by the nethernes without Float or plumb, drawing up and down the stream till you feel him fast. Also it is good to angle for him with ground lines, and with a red worm, for the most part, and in April take the same baits, as also the Canker that breedeth in a great tree, and the red snail, you may take the bob worm under the Cowtord and the silk worm, and the bait that breedeth on a Fern leaf. In june take a red worm and nip of his head, and a cod worm, and put it on the hook. In july take the Codworme, and the red worm together. In August take a flesh fly, and the fat of Bacon, and bind them together about the hook. In September take the red worm and the Menowe. In October take the same. There be specially for the trout all times of the year. From April until September the Troute leapeth: then angle for him with a dubbed hook according to the mouth: which dubbed hooks you shall find in the end of this Treatise, and the mouths with them.  
The Grailing of some so called, of others Umber, It is a right delicate fish to man's mouth, and you may take him as you do the Troute, and these are his baits. In March and in April the red worm, in May the green worm, a little braised worm, the dock canker, and the Hawthorne worm. In june the bait that breedeth between the Bark of an Oak. In july a bait that breedeth on the Fern leaf, and the great red worm, and nip off the head and put it on the hook, and a Codworme before. In August the red worm and a dock worm, and all the year after a worm.  
The barbel is a sweet fish, but he is a very queasy meat, and very dangerous to eat: for commonly he bringeth an inconvenience to the Febres, and if he be eaten raw, he may be the cause of a man's death, which hath oftentimes been seen, and these are his baits in March and in April. Take fresh Cheese, and lay it on a Trencher, and cut it into small pieces, the length of your hook, then take a Candle and burn it on your hook till it be yellow, and then bind it on you hook with Fletcher's Silk, and make it rough like a Welbede, this bait is good all the Summer season. In may and in june take the Hawihorne Worm, and the great red Worm, and nip the head off, and put a codworm on your hook before, and this is a very good bait. In july take the red worm for the chief, and the Hawthorne, together with the waterdocke leaf worm. In August, and for all the year, take the tallow of a sheep, and of soft cheese, each of them alike, and a little Honey, and temper them together till they be tough, and then put a little Flower into it, and make it in small pellets, and that is a good bait to Angle with at the ground, and look that it sink in the water, or else it is not good for that purpose.  
The carp is a dainty fish, but there is no great plenty of them, and therefore I writ least of him, but he is a very subtle fish to take, for heée is so strong in the mouth that there is no weak harness will hold him: and as touching his baits I have little knowledge thereof, and therefore I would be loath to write more than I know and have proved: but I am sure the red worm, and the Menow are good baits for him at all times, as I have heard divers good Fisher's report.  
The Chevin is a stately fish, and his head is a dainty morsel, there is no fish so strongly enarmed on the body with scales, and because he is a strong biter he hath the more baits, which are these: In March, the red worm at the ground: for commonly than he will bite there at all times of the year, if he be any thing hungry: In April, the Canker that breedeth in the tree, the worm that breedeth between the bark of the tree of Oak, the red worm, and the young Froshes when the feet be cut off: also the Stone fly, the Bob under the Cow-turd, the red Snail: In May, the bait that breedeth in the Osier leaf, and the Dock canker put on the hook, and a bait that breedeth on the Fern leaf, the Redworme, and the bait that groweth upon the Hawthorne, and a bait that breedeth on the Oak leaf, and a Silk worm and a Codworme together: In june, take the Creker and the Dorre, also a red worm the head being cut off, and a Codworme before, and put them on the hook: also a Grub that breedeth in the dunghill, a great grasshopper, and the Humble be in the Meadow: Also young Bees and Hornets, and the fly that is among the pismires hills. In August, take Wort worms, and Maggots, till Michalmas. In September, the red worm, and a young Mouse not heard, and the House comb.  
The bream is a noble fish and a dainty, and you shall angle for him from March until August with a red Worm, and then with a Butterfly, and with a bait that groweth amongst green Reed, and a bait that breedeth in the bark of a dead tree: and for Bremets take Maggots, and from that time forward all the yerre take the red worm: and in the River, brown bread.  
The Tench is a good fish, and healeth in a manner all other fish that be hurt, if they may come to him, he is most parts of the year in the mud, and stirreth most in june and july, and in other season but little, he is an evil biter, and his baits be these: For all the year, brown bread toasted with Honney, the likeness of a bantred loaf, and the great red wore, and take the black blood in the heart of a Sheep, and flower and honey, and temper them all together, so make them softer than past, and anoint the red worm therewith, both for this fish and for others, and they will bite much the better thereat all times of the year.  
The Perch is a dainty fish, and passing wholesome, and a great and earnest biter: In march, the red worm, the Bob under the Cowturde. In April and May, the Slowthorne, worm, and the Codworme. In june, the bait that breedeth in an old fallen Oak, and the great Canker. In july the bait that breedeth on the Osier leaf, and the Bob that breedeth on the dunghill, and the Hawthorne worm, and the Codworme. In August, the red worm and Maggots, and all the year after take the red worm for the best.  
The Roch is an easy fish to take, and if he be fat and penned then is he good meat, and his baits are these. In March take the red worm. In April, the Bob under the Cowturde. In May, the bait that breedeth in the Oaken leaf, and the Bob on the dunghill. In june, the bait that breedeth on the Osier, and the Codworme. In july, the House spies, and the bait that breedeth on an Oak, and the Notworme, and Mathewes maggots, until Michalmas, and after that the fat of Bacon.  
The Dace is a gentle Fish, and is very good meat, in March his haite is a red worm, and in April the Bob under the Cowtord. In May the dock canker, and the bait on the Slowthorne and that on the Oaken leaf. In june the Codworme and the bait on the Osier, and the white Grub on the dunghill. In july take house spies, and the flies that breed in pismire hills, the Codworm and Maggots till Michaelmas, and if the water be clear, you shall take fish when other shall take none, and from that time forth do as you would do for the Roch: for commonly their biting and baits be alike.  
The bleak is but a feeble fish, yet is he wholesome. His bait from March till Michaelmas be the same that I have written for the roche and the Dace, saving all the summer you may angle for him with a house fly, and in Winter season with Bacon, and with other baits as hereafter you shall learn.  
The Ruff is a very good and a wholesome fish, and a free biter: but subtle withal, and you must angle for him with the same baits and the same seasons of the year as I have told you of the Perch: for they be like in fish and feeding, saving the Ruff is less, and therefore you must have the smaller baits.  
The Flounder is a wholesome fish and free, but a subtle biter, in this manner: for commonly when he sucketh his meat, he feedeth at the ground, and therefore you must angle for him with a ground line lying, and he hath but one manner of bait, and that is a red worm, and that is most chief for all manner of Fish.  
The Gogin is a good fish of his bigness, and he biteth well at the ground, and his baits for all the year is the red worm, Codworme and Maggots, and you must angle for him with a float, and let your bait be near the bottom, or else upon the ground.  
The Menowe when he shineth in the water is bitter, and though his body be but little, yet he is a ravenous biter and eager, and you shall angle for him with the same baits that you do for the Gogion, saving they must be small.  
The Eel is a queasy fish, and a ravenor and a devourer of the brood of fish, and the Pike is also a devourer of fish, I put them both behind all other fish for to angle. For the Eel, you shall find the hole in the ground of water, and it is blue and blackish, there put in your hook till it be a foot within the hole, and your bait shall be a great angle with a Menowe.  
The Pike is a good fish, but that he is a devourer of all fish aswell of his own brood as of other, and therefore I love him the worse: and for to take him ye shall do thus. Take a Rock or a fresh Herring, and a wire with a hook in the end, and put it in at the mouth and down by the ridge to the tail of the Herring, and then put the line of your hook in after, and draw the hook into the cheek of the fresh Herring, than put a plumb of lead on your line a yard from your book, and a float in the midway between, and cast it in a pit where the Pikes use, and this is the best and surest way to take: and three manner of taking of him there is. Take a Frosh, and put it on your hook between the skin and the body in at the neck, on the back half, and put on the float a yard thereto, and cast it where the Pike haunteth, and you shall have him. Another way: Take the same bait and put it in safe tied, and cast it into the water with a Cork, and you shall not fail of him: And if you mind to have good sport, then tie your cord to a Goose foot, and you shall see good haling between the Goose and the Pike, who shall have the hetter.  
Now you know with what baits and in what seasons of the year you shall angle for every kind of fish, now I mean to tell you how you shall keep and feed your quick baits. You shall keep them all in general and every one several by himself, with such things as they are bred in, and as long as they be quick and new they be fine: but when they be in a slough or dead, than they are nought: Out of these be excepted three broods: that is, Hornets, Humble bees and Wasps, which you shall bake in bread, and dip their heads in blood, and let them dry. Also except Maggots, which when they be bred great with their natural feeding, you shall feed them furthermore with sheeps tallow, and take heed that in going about your disports you open no man's gates, but that you shut them again. Also you shall not use this sport craftily for covetousness, to the increasing and sparing of your money only, but principally for your solace, and for the maintenance of your bodily health. For when you purpose to go on your disports in fishing, you will not desire greatly many persons with you, which might let you of your game, and then your mind may be well given to the serving of God, as in prayer or otherwise, and in so doing you shall eschew and avoid many vices, as Idleness, which is the principal leader to vice, and it is commonly seen that it bringeth divers to their utter destruction. Also you must not be too desirous of your game but with discretion, that you mar not other men's game and your own too, as too much at one time, which you may lightly do, if in every point you fulfil this present treatise: but when you have a sufficient mess, to content yourself for that time. Also you shall apply yourself to the nourishing of the gain, and in destroying of such things as shall be the devourers of it.    
FINIS.