But such Hounds are not meet for Mean Gentlemen.

 

Chapter 3.

Of Fallow Hounds and their nature.

I have read no other thing of the antiquity of Fallow Hounds, but only that I have seen in an old written book made by a hunter, the which makes mention of a lord of Brittany called Hüet of Nantes; the author of that book did much esteeem hunting, the which amongst other things gave this blazon to the hounds of that lord's kennel:

Hüet, thy Fallow Hounds in forests hunt apace,
And kill at force, hart, hind, buck, doe, fox, grey, and every chase
As thou thyself hast eke, above all others praise,
To hallow well in hollow woods, unto thy hounds always. 

Also, I have seen in a chronicle in the town of Lambale a chapter which makes mention that a lord of the said place with a kennel of Fallow and Red Hounds did course a stag in a forst of the country of Poitiers, and did hunt and pursue him by the space of four days, in such sort that the fourth day he took him near to the city of Paris. And it is to be presumed that the Fallow Hounds are the ancient hounds of the dukes and lords of Brittany, of the which the Lord Admiral a Anybauld and his predecessors have always kept and maintained the race, the which came first to be common in the time of the great King Frances, father of hunters. 

These Fallow Hounds be hardy and of good scent, keeping very well their chase without change, and are almost of the same complexion that the White Hounds are, saving that they endure not the heat so well, nor yet the press or throng of the prickets and gallopers; but they are swifter, more universal for all chases, and hotter in hunting, and if it chance that a beast do stray out in the champaign or the fields, they yet do never lightly forsake the chase. Their complexion is strong, for they fear neither the cold nor the waters, and they run surely, and are very hardy; they are fair hunters, loving commonly the Hart better than any other kind of chase, and they are more opinionate and harder to be taught than the White Hounds, and so are they able to endure greater pain and travail.

The best that you shall find of the race of these Fallow Hounds are those which have their hair most lively red, and such as have a white spot on their forehead, or a ring about their neck, and likewise, those which are all altogether fallow; but those that be lighter yellow, being marked or spotted with black or dun, are not greatly to be esteemed. Those which are well jointed and dew-clawed are best to make Bloodhounds, and those are commonly good and swift; and since princes at these days have mingled the races of Fallow Hounds one with another, therefore they are become much stronger and better for the Hart, the which is the right chase to yield pleasure into kings and princes. But such hounds are not meet for mean gentlemen, because they are commonly but for one chase, and they pass not greatly for the hare and other small chases; and again, they are much inclined to run at tame beasts.