By these Tokens, the Huntsman may know.

 

Chapter 23.

Of the Judgement and Knowledge of the Fumishing of a Dear, and of the Ten in the Top, and of the Old Harts. 

In the months of May and April,
men may begin to judge an Old Hart
by the fumishing,
the wish they make in broad croteys;
and if they be great, large and thick,
it is a sign they are Harts of Ten. 

In the month of June and July, they will commonly make their fumishing in great croteys, very soft; and yet nevertheless there are some will make them broad until it be mid-June. 

And from mid-July until the end of August, they make their fumishing altogether formie, great, long, knotty, well-knodde, anointed and gilded, letting fall but few of them, the which they should let fall scattered without cleaving one to another, and without little pticks at the one end; and you must mark whether they be very fat, and whether the Hart has been in the corn or not. 

And these be the marks or tokens by the fumishing of a Hart of Ten, and of old Harts, although men may be deceived oftentimes; for if the Harts have had any disturbance, or have been hurt, they make their fumet oftentimes dry, burned and sharp at that one end, especially at such time as they fray their heads, but after they have frayed and burnished, their fumet will lightly return to the natural course. In such case, the huntsman ought well to mark, because the marks ti judge by are doubful. 

In September and October, there is no longer judgement to be had because of the rut, and you must understand there is difference between the fumet of the morning and of the evening, because the fumishings a Hart makes when he goes to relief at night are better digested and moister than those he makes in the morning, because the Hart has taken his rest all the day, and has had time and ease to make perfect digestion and fumet, whereas contrarily it is seen in the fumishing which is made in the morning, because of the exercise without rest he made in the night to go seek his feed.

Chapter 24.

Of the Judgement of the breach or bearing-down of the Spring or Boughs.

The huntsman may take knowledge and judge of the head of the Hart by the breach or bearing-down of the boughs and branches, all the year long excepting four months, which are March, April, May and June, in which time they mew their heads and bear their velvet and bloody heads, and therefore in that season there id no great judgement to be had; but when their heads begin to harden, you may judge by the bearing-down or breaking of the branches and boughs until they have mewed again, for as much as when they enter into the thickets, they lift up their heads and fear not to break and bear down the branches. Thereby the huntsman may take knowledge, but when the Harts have soft heads or in blood, you can take small judgement because they couch their heads low and flat upon their back for fear lest they should knock them against the boughs, and so hurt them. 

When the huntsman shall see the Hart has his head hard and seamed, and judgement may be given by the entries where they go into the thickets, let him look well thereunto, and especially in great springs which have not been felled in eight or ten years before, and he shall see therein by the paths which the Harts make the branches and boughs are bowed and broken, or borne down on both sides. By marking the breadth of the said entry, he may judge whether it were a broad open head or not, and if there be any place of thick where the Hart has raised his head upright altogether, or that he strayed to harken - for lightly when they harken, they raise their heads and set up their ears - then may the huntsman find percase some broken branches or some bruised boughs whereby he may judge the length and height of the beam, and the height of the Hart's head. 

Chapter 25.

Of the Judgement of the Gait and Going of a Hart.

By the gait and going of a Hart, the huntsman may know if he be great and long, and whether he will stand long up before his hounds or not; for all Harts which have a long step or pace, will longer stand up than they which have a short step, and also they are swifter, lighter and better breathed. Also, the Hart which leaves a great slot of his forefoot never stands long up when he is chased.

By these tokens, the huntsman may know the force of the Hart, and take the advantage for his hounds. And again, a Hart which has a long foot has a greater body than they which are round footed. 

Chapter 26.

Of the Judgement of the Abatures and Beating-Down of the Low Twigs and the Foyles.

If you will know whether a Hart be high or not, and likewise the greatness and thickness of his body, you must look where he enters into a thicket among the ferns and small twigs, the which he has overstridden, and mark thereby the height of his belly from the ground, which you shall perceive by the height of the brakes or twigs which he has borne down. His greatness is known by the sides of the brakes or twigs where his body has passed, for it is hard if you find not some dry broken sticks or such, like whereby you may measure his greatness. 

Chapter 27.

The Judgement to be taken by the Places where he frays.

Commonly, the old Harts fray their heads upon the young trees which men leave growing in springs, and the elder a Hart is, the sooner he goes to fray, and the greater tree he seeks to fray upon, and such as he may not bend with his head. And when the huntsman has found his fraying-stock, he must mark the height where the end of his croches or palm has reached, and where the branches shall be broken or bruised, and thereby he shall know and judge the height of the Hart's head. If he perceives at the highest of his fraying there be four marks bruised at once and of one height, it is likely that the same Hart bears a crowned top, or croched at the least. In like manner, if you see three antlers have touched three branches of one height, and two other that have left their marks somewhat lower, it is a token he bears a palmed head. 

Although these tokens be very obscure, and a man must have a good eye that will take judgement by the little small twigs and leaves, nevertheless you shall see sometimes the old Harts fray upon small trees, as black sallow and such like, as well as the young Harts, but young Harts never fray upon great trees, unless they be Harts of Ten. 

I will stand no longer hereupon, because there be other more certain tokens and judgements hereunder mentioned. 

Chapter 28.

How the Huntsman ought to seek the Hart in his feeding places, according to the months and seasons.

Here will I give precepts to all huntsmen leading their Bloodhounds with them in the forests; how they shall govern themselves according to the months and seasons, for Harts change their manner of feeding every month, and as the Sun rises in altitude, and that thereby good pasturage and feed increases, so make they change of their feed.

I will first begin at the end of their rut, which is in the end of October, following orderly from month to month until I return about the month of September. Therefore, in the month of November you shall seek the Hart on heaths and broomy places, whereof they then delight to crop the flowers and tops, because those are hot and of great substance, the which restores their nature and recomfort their members, which are sore overwearied with rut, and sometimes also they remain and lie in such heath and broom, especially when the Sun is hot. 

In December, they herd together and withdraw themselves to the strength of the forests to have harbour from the cold winds, snows and frosts, and do feed on the holm trees, elder trees, brambles and briars, and such other things as they can then find green; and if it snow, they feed on the tops of the moss, and pill the trees even as a Goat will do. 

In January, they leave herding with rascal, and accompany themselves three or four Harts together, withdrawing themselves into the corners of the forests, and go to the good winter pasture and fog, or to the corn then strong, as wheat, rye and such other like. 

In February and March, they go to the plumps and tufts of coleworts or of hazelnuts, or green corn, and in the meadows to pigwort, woodbine, birch and sucj like, whereof they crop the tops. And in those two months, they mew and cast their heads, beginning to mark what coast may be most commodious for them to take hold, and to harbour in until their heads be grown again, and then they part each from other. 

In April and May, they rest in their thickets and holds, in the which they remain all that season, and stir not much until the beginning of rut, unless they be stirred against their wills, taking their harbour near unto some pretty springs and courts, wherein there is much young frights, and therein they will feed, as likewise also in pease, beans, tares, thetches, kentils and such other summer corn as they can find near hand, for they will not stray far if they find any feed near to their lair. Some Harts there be which will venture far ro such feed, and will go out, therefore, but once in two days. 

And note you well, some Harts be so crafty, they have two lairs wherein they harbour; and when they have been three days on that one side of the forest, they will take another harborough as long on that other side of the forest. These be old Harts, which have been sore stirred and put from their feed, which change their lair as the wind changes to have perfect vent as they come out of their thickets, what fault may perhaps be in their feed.

And you shall also note that in these months of April and May, they go not to the soil, by reason of the moisture of the spring, and of the dew which gives liquor sufficient.

In June, July and August, they go to the springs and copses as before, and unto corn as wheat, oats, rye, barley, and such like as they may find - but seldom to rye or barley - and then are they in their pride of grease. And let men say what they will, they go to the water, and I have seen them drink, but that is more commonly at this time than at any other time of the year, because of their disposition, and alsoby reason of the great vehement heats which take the dew from the springs, when they now begin also to grow hard. 

In September and October, they leave their thickets and go to rut, and at that time they have neither certain feed nor lair, as I have before decalred in the chapter of rut.