The Blazon pronounc'd.

 

The Blazon pronounced by the Huntsman.

I am the hunter, who rath and early rise,
(My bottle filled with wine in anywise),
Two draughts I drink, to stay my steps withal, 
For each foot one, because I would not fall.
Then take my hound, in frith or fell to find.
And whilest I seel his slot where he has fed,
The sweet birds sing to cheer my drousy head.
And when my hound does strain upon good vent,
I must confess, the same does me content.
But when I have, my courts walked about,
And harboured fast, the Hart for coming out:
Then I return to make a grave report,
Whereas I find th'assembly does resort.
And low I crouch before the lordings all,
Out of my horn the fewmets let I fall,
And other signs and tokens do I tell,
To make them hope the Hart may like them well.
Then they command that I the wine should taste,
So bides mine art: and so my throat I baste.
The dinner done, I go straightways again,
Unto my marks, and show my master plain.
Then put my hound, upon the view to draw,
And rouse the Hart, out of his lair by law.
O gamesters all, a little by your leave,
Can you such joys in trifling games conceive?

Of the Knowledge and Judgement which the Huntsman may take to know an Old Hart.

The judgement of the slot.

The judgement of the ports and entries.

The judgement of the abatures and foyles.

The judgement by the fewmets.

The judgement by his gait and walk.

The judgement by a Hart's frayingstocks.

The which I will declare in chapters following, beginning first with the judgement of the slot or view.

Chapter 22.

The Judgement and Knowledge by the Slot of a Hart.

Old Harts leave commonly the blemishes and tokens which follow.

First, you must look upon the treading of his foot, which must be great and long, and mark if you find together the footing of two Stags, of the which one has a long slot, and that other a round; and that theybe bot in judgement of one bigness, yet the long slot shall be judged for the greater Hart than the round, for without all doubt his body will show itself bigger than the other.

Then, you must you look to the heel, which must be great and large, and the little cliff or slit which is in the midst thereof and separates the two claws must be large and wide open, the leg great, the bones short, thick and not sharp, the toes round and great.

Commonly, the great old Harts be low jointed, and never tread double or falsely, because the sinews which hold the joints of their feet and claws, are well-enforced, and do better hold tack with the weight of their body than the young Harts do, for their sinews and joints are weak, and are not yet come to their force, and therefore they are not able to sustain the weight of their bodies in such sort that sometimes the foot and the claws are forced to tread awry and to double, and thereby you may judge them young Harts.

Furthermore, the old Harts, when they walk, never overreach the forefoot with the hinderfoot, but tread short of it by four fingers breadth at the least, the which the young Harts do not; for in their gait the hinderfoot overreaches the forefoot, like unto a Mule or Hackney, which ambles. Hollow-footed Harts (if other signs be not contrary) may be judged old Harts, the which have a high and soft pace, in places where there are not many stones are judged thereby to be strong, and that they have not been much run nor chased. 

And here you must understand there is great difference between the judgements of a Hart's slot and of a Hind. When the Hinds are with calf, a young hunter might soon be beguiled, because they open their claws wide like unto a Hart by reason of the weightiness of their bodies. And yet the differences are apparent; for if you mark the heel of a Hind, you shall perceive there is no Hart of the second head so young which leaves not a greater and wider slot than she does, and therewithal the bones will appear greater also; herewithal, Hinds have commonly their foot long, straight and hollow, with little sharp cutting bones, otherwise also you may judge the Hind by her feed, because she crops the springs round like an Aurochs, and feeds greedily, and contrary, the Hart of ten takes it delicately, breaking it off endways to have the liquor as sweetly and tenderly as he may. 

And here let the hunter mark one secret point, which is when he is in the wood and shall find the slot of a Hart, let him first mark what manner of slot or footing it is, whether it be a worn footing or a sharp-cutting foot. Then, let him mark the country and forest wherein he is, for he may judge in himself whether it be by occasion of the country or not, for as much as commonly the Harts breed in the mountains and stony places have their toes and edges or sides of their feet much worn. The reason is because in climbing of the mountains they stay only upon their toes and edges or sides of their feet, and not upon the heel, the which toes the rocks and stones wear continually, and so peradventure the slot might make it seem an older Hart than it is.

Now, in sandy countries it is contray, for there the Harts stay more upon their heel than upon the toes. The reason is that leaning or staying their feet upon the sand, it flies and slips away from under the toes because of the weight; for the claw, which is hard, makes it slide, and then the Hart is constrained to stay himself upon his heel, which makes it sometimes to grow the broader and greater.

All these tokens are the true significations and marks whereby the huntsman may know and perceive the age of the Hart. I would also have declared willingly to such as are but learners what the heel, the toe, the bone and other things mean, but I see nowadays so many who understand all those things that I hold my peace for brevity.