vsing it most that stand [in] least need; in respect of any calling or imploiment they haue or vndertake, to wearie their spirits, or spend their bodie or braine, hauing their hearts so taken vp, and affections intangled with it, as they spend and mispend their golden and pretious time, two or three whole daies in a weeke: making recreation halfe, if not all their vocation, trade, and occupation, turning all their meate into sauce, yea the sabboth itselfe, which should be dedicated to God and good duties, being prophaned and polluted by the discourses of their chases and courses with their hounds and horses, or coursers." [Yet, as the same writer continues,] "because such idle libertines doe abuse this honest and harmlesse exercise, as it hath euer beene accounted, may it not therefore be lawfully and conscionably vsed with moderation by a magistrate, or minister, or lawyer, or student, or any other seriously imployed, which in any function heat their braines, wast their bodies, weaken their strength, weary their spirits; that as a meanes and blessing from God, by it their decayed strength may be restored, their vitall and animall spirits quickned, refreshed, and reuiued; their health preserued, and they better inabled (as a bow vnbended for shooting) to the discharging of these weighty charges imposed vpon them." A different advantage to be derived from the chace was suggested by that learned and perspicuous writer, Sir Thomas Elyot, in "the boke named the Gouernour;" by rendering it a pursuit of emulation, and with reward crowning the successful efforts of strength and activity. Although the custom of the Persians, * Greeks With the Persians the chace formed a portion of the education of their youth, for the purpose of inuring them to toil, hardiness and temperate living." Cirus, and other aunciene kinges of Persia (as Xenophon writeth) vsed this maner in all their huntynge. First, where as it semeth there was in the realme of Persia, but one citie, whiche as I suppose, was called Persepolis; there were the children of the Persians, Greeks and Romans in pursuing lions, libards, tigers, or other beasts equally savage could not be followed as "in this realme be Persians, from their infancie, vnto the aege of seuentene yeres, broughte vp in the lernyng of justice and temperaunce, & also to obserue continence in meate and drinke : in so muche, that whither so euer they weat, they toke with them for their sustenaunce, but only breade and herbes called cressis, in Latin Nasturtium: and for their drinke, a dysshe to take water out of the ryuers as they passed. Also they learned to shote, & to cast the darte or iauelyn........... Thei were accustomed to ryse alwaie in the fyrste spring of the daye, and pacientely to susteyne alwaie both cold and heate. And the kyng dyd se them exercised in goyng and also in reanyng. And whan he intended, in his owne personne, to hunte, whiche he dyd commenly euery moneth, he took with hym the one halfe of the company of yong men, that were in the palaises. Than toke euerye man with him his bowe and quiver with arowes, his sword or hache of steelę, a lyttel tergat, and two dartes. The bowe and arowes serued to pursue beastes that were swyft, & the dartes to assaile them and all other beastes. And whan theyr courage was chaufed, or that by fiersenesse of the beast they were in danger, than force constrayned theim to stryke with the sworde or hache, and to haue good eye at the violente assaulte of the beaste, and to defend theim yf neede were, with their tergates, wherein they accounted to be the trewest and moste certaine meditacion of warres. And to this huntyng the kynge dydde conducte them, and he himselfe firste hunted suche beastes as he hapned to encounter. And whan he had taken his pleasure, he than with most diligence dyd set other forwarde, beholdyng who hunted valiauntly, and refourmyng them, whom he sawe negligente or slouthfull. But er thei wente forthe to this huntynge, they dyned competently: and daryng their huntyng thei dined no more. For yf by any occasion their huntyng continued aboue one day, thei toke the said diner for their supper: and the next day, if thei kylled no game, thei hunted vntill supper time, accounting those two daies but And if thei toke any thyng, thei eate it at their supper with ioy and pleaIf nothyng were killed, thei eate only bread and cressis, as I before rehersed, and dranke therto water. And if any man will dispreise this diete, lette hym thynke what pleasure there is in breade to him that is hungry; and what delectation is in drynkynge water to him that is thurstye. Surelye this maner of hunting may be called a necessary solace and pastyme, for therin is the verye imitacion of battayle. For not onely it doth shew the courage and strengthe, as well of the horse as of him that rydeth, trauersyng ouer mountaines and valeyes, encountryng and ouerthrowyng great and myghty beastes; but also it increaseth in theim bothe agilitie and quick. nesse, also sleyght and policye to finde suche passages and straites, where thei may preuent or intrap their enemies. Also by continuance therin, thei shall caseiły susteine traudile for one. sure. Q3 be no such cruel beastes to be pursued; [still he says] notwithstandyng, in the huntyng of red dere and falowe, mought be a great parte of semblable exercise vsed by noble men, specially in forestis which be spacious: if they wolde vse but a fewe nombre of houndes, onely to harborowe or rouse the game, by their yornynge to gyue knowlege, whiche waie it fleeth, the remanaunt of the disporte to be in the pursuyng with iauelyns and other weapo's, in maner of warre. And to theim whiche in this huntyng dooe shewe moste prowesse and actiuitie, a garlande or some other lyke token, to be gyuen in signe of victory, and with a ioyful maner to be brought in the presence of him that is chiefe in the companie, there to receiue condigne praise for their good endeuour." In the modern chace the lithsomness of youth is no longer excited to pursue the animal. Attendant footmen are discontinued and forgotten; while the active and eager rustic with a hunting pole, wont to be foremost, has long forsaken the field, nor is there a trace of the character known, except in a country of deep clay, as parts of Sussex. † Few years will pass ere the old steady-paced English hunter, and the gabbling beagle, will be equally obsolete. All the sport now consists of speed. A bare is hurried to death by dwarf fox-hounds, and a leash murdered trauaile in warres, hunger and thurst, cold and heate. Hitherto be the wordes of Xenophon althoughe I haue not sette theim in lyke order as he wrate them." Gouernour, 1553. "The old Lord Gray (our English Achilles) when hee was Deputie of Ireland, to inure his sonnes for the warre, would vsually in the depth of winter, in frost, snow, raine, and what weather soever fell, cause them at midnight to be raised out of their beds, and carried abroad on hunting till the next morning; then perhaps come wet and cold home, having for a breake fast, a browne loafe and a mouldie cheese, or (which is ten times worse) a dish of Irish butter; and in this manner the Spartans and Laconians dieted, and brought up their children, till they came vnto man's estate." Peacham's Complete Gentleman. Or occasionally where he southern hound is used. in in a shorter period than a single one could generally struggle for existence. The hunter boasts a cross of blood, or, in plainer phrase, a racer, sufficiently professed to render a country sweepstakes doubtful. This variation is by no means an improvement, and can only advantage the plethoric citizen, who seeks to combat the somnolency arising from civic festivals by a short and sudden excess of exercise. Some trace of the more ancient manner may be found in the following poems of Gascoigne and Turbervile, transcribed from the Book of Hunting, 1575; a work that always forms high game and full scent to the hunting Grangerites; and their destructive view hollow, when they run down a Bess, or a Jamie, is likely to prove as fatal to the existence of a perfect copy as the feudal tribute of wolves' heads which finally extirpated the race. George Gascoigne, in the commendation of the noble Arte of Venerie. "As God himselfe declares, the life of man was lent, Vnlesse that myrth and merie cheere, may follow toile and paine. High towers & halles of stately port, to leaue an vnknown child? • Of six copies, lately seen, one complete cannot be formed, the whole wanting a title and the other wood-cut portraits. Turbervile's work was a general compi. lation to give " as much as Latine, Greeke, Italy ans, French, High Dutch or English skill, Or wherefore hoord we heapes of coyne and worldly wealth, Whiles therwithall that caytif care comes creping in by stelth? The needie neighbors grudge to see the rychman thryue, Such malice worldly mucke doth breede in euery man alyue. Contention commes by coyne, and care doth contecke sew, And sodeine death by care is caught, all this you know is true: Since death is then the end, which all men seeke to flye, And yet are all men well aware, that man is borne to dye; Why leade not men such liues, in quiet comely wise, As might with honest sport & game, their worldly minds suffise? Amongst [The Chace, as described in the tragedy of Hippolytvs, translated from Seneca, by John Studley.] "Goe raunge about the shady woode, beset on euery side With nets, with hounds, & toyles, & running out at randon ride About, about the craggy crests of high Cecropes hill, With speedy foote about the rockes, with coursing wander still. That vnder Carpanetus soyle in dale below doth lurke, Whereas the riuers running swift, their flapping waues doe worke, And clamber vp the slimy cliues, besmear'd with. hory snow, (That falleth, when ye. westerne winde from Riphes mounts doth blow.) For euening forage goe to graze, and stalke vnto their rest. The rascall deare trip after fast, you thither take your way, Where clottered hard Acarnan forst warme southerne windes t' obay, Doth slake the chilling colde, vnto Hymetus ysie cliuc } To Alphid's litle villages, now let some other driue: That plot where Sunion surges high doe beate the sandy bankes, Vohaunted |