and falling, the doubling and redoubling of her voice, might well be lifted above earth, and fay, Lord, what mufick haft thou provided for the faints in heaven, when thou affordest bad men fuch mufick on Earth! And this makes me the less to wonder at the many Aviaries in Italy, or at the great charge of Varro his Aviarie, the ruins of which are yet to be seen in Rome, and is still fo famous there, that it is reckoned for one of those notables which men of foreign nations either record, or lay up in their memories when they return from travel. This for the birds of pleasure, of which very much more might be faid. My next fhall be of birds of political ufe; I think 'tis not to be doubted that Swallows have been taught to carry letters between two armies. But 'tis certain that when the Turks befieged Malta or Rhodes, I now remember not which it was, Pigeons are then related to carry and recarry letters. And Mr. G. Sandys, in his travels, relates it to be done betwixt Aleppo and Babylon. But if that be disbelieved, it is not to be doubted that the Dove was fent out of the ark by Noak, to give him notice of land, when to him all appeared to be fea, and the Dove proved a faithful and comfortable meffenger. And for the facrifices of the Mr. George Sandys, a very learned and accomplished gentleman, was the youngest fon of Dr. Edwin Sandys, Archbishop of York. He published his Travels to the Holy Land, Egypt, and elsewhere, in fol. 1670, and made an excellent paraphrafe on the Pfalms, Canticles, and Ecclefiaftes, in verfe; and alfo tranflated Ovid's Metamorphofes. He died in 1642; and was one of the best verfifiers of that age. law, law, a pair of Turtle-doves or young Pigeons, were as well accepted as coftly Bulls and Rams. And when God would feed the Prophet Elijah, 1 Kings xvii. 6. after a kind of miraculous manner, he did it by Ravens, who brought him meat morning and evening. Laftly, the Holy Ghost, when he defcended vifibly upon our Saviour, did it by affuming the fhape of a Dove. And, to conclude this part of my difcourfe, pray remember these wonders were done by birds of the air, the element in which they and I take fo much pleasure. There is also a little contemptible winged Creature, an inhabitant of my aereal element, namely the laborious Bee, of whofe Prudence, Policy, and regular government of their own commonwealth, I might say much, as also of their feveral kinds, and how useful their honey and wax is both for meat and medicines to mankind * ; but I will leave them to their fweet labour, without the leaft difturbance, believing them to be all very bufy at this very time amongst the herbs and flowers that we fee nature puts forth this May morning. And now to return to my Hawks, from whom I have made too long a digreffion; you are to note, that they are usually distinguished into two kinds; namely, the long-winged and the shortwinged Hawk: of the first kind, there be chiefly in use amongst us in this nation, The Gerfalcon and Jerkin. * See the Feminine Monarchy; or, Hiftory of Bees, by Charles Butler, 4to, 1634. The The Laner and Laneret. The Bockerel and Bockeret. The Saker and Sacaret. The Merlin and Jack Merlin. There is the Stelletto of Spain. And there' is of fhort-winged Hawks, The Gofhawk and Tarcel. The Sparhawk and Musket. The French Pye of two forts. Thefe are reckoned Hawks of note and worth, but we have also of an inferior rank, The Stanyel, the Ringtail. The Raven, the Buzzard. The forked Kite, the Bald Buzzard. The Hen-driver, and others that I forbear to name *. Gentlemen, if I fhould enlarge my discourse to the obfervation of the Eires, the Brancher, the Ramish Hawk, the Haggard, and the two forts of Lentners, and then treat of their several Ayries, their Mewings, rare order of casting, and the renovation of their feathers; their reclaiming, dieting, and then come to their rare ftories of practice; I fay, if I fhould enter into thefe, and many other obfervations that I could make, it would be much, very much pleasure to me: but left I fhould break the rules of civility with you, by taking up more than the pro See Turberville, Latham, and Markham, on Falconry. 5 portion portion of time allotted to me, I will here break off, and entreat you, Mr. Venator, to fay what you are able in the commendation of Hunting, to which you are so much affected; and if time will ferve, I will beg your favour for a further enlargement of fome of thofe feveral heads of which I have spoken. But no more at present. Venat. Well, Sir, and I will now take my turn, and will first begin with a commendation of the Earth, as you have done most excellently of the Air; the Earth being that element upon which I drive my pleafant, wholfome, hungry trade. The Earth is a folid, settled element; an element most universally beneficial both to man and beast to men who have their several recreations upon it, as horfe races, hunting, fweet fmells, pleafant walks the earth feeds man, and all those several beasts that both feed him, and afford him recreation. What pleasure doth man take in hunting the stately Stag, the generous Buck, the Wild Boar, the cunning Otter, the crafty Fox, and the fearful Hare? And if I may defcend to a lower game, what pleasure is it fometimes with gins to betray the very vermin of the earth? as namely, the Fichat, the Fulimart, the Ferret, the Pole-cat, the Mouldwarp, and the like creatures that live upon the face, and within the bowels of the earth. How doth the earth bring forth herbs, flowers and fruits, both for phyfick and the pleasure of mankind? and above all, to me at least, the fruitful vine, of which, when I drink moderately, it clears my brain, chears my heart, and fharpens my wit. How could Cleopatra have feafted Mark Antony with eight Wild Boars roafted whole at one fup per, 1 per, and other meat fuitable, if the earth had not been a bountiful mother? But to pass by the mighty Elephant, which the earth breeds and nourisheth, and defcend to the leaft of creatures, how doth the earth afford us a doctrinal example in the little Pifmire, who in the fummer provides and lays up her winter provifion, and teaches man to do the like? The earth feeds and carries those horses that carry us. If I would be prodigal of my time and your patience, what might not I fay in commendations of the earth? that puts limits to the proud and raging fea, and by that means preferves both man and beaft that it destroys them not, as we fee it daily doth thofe that venture upon the fea, and are there fhipwrecked, drowned, and left to feed Haddocks; when we that are so wife as to keep ourselves on earth, walk, and talk, and live, and eat, and drink, and go a hunting: of which recreation I will fay a little, and then leave Mr. Pifcator to the commendation of Angling. Hunting is a game for princes and noble perfons; it hath been highly prized in all ages; it was one of the qualifications that Xenophon beftowed on his Cyrus, that he was a hunter of wild beafts. Hunting trains up the younger nobility to the use of manly exercises in their riper age. What more manly exercife than hunting the Wild Boar, the Stag, the Buck, the Fox or the Hare? how doth it preferve health, and increase ftrength and activity? And for the dogs that we ufe, who can com * See a very curious and entertaining account of the induftry and fagacity of this little animal in the Guardian, N° 156. mend |