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§ 2. Sport

Hunting

Come, shall we go and kill us venison?
And yet it irks me, the poor dappled fools,
Being native burghers of this desert city,
Should in their own confines with forked heads
Have their round haunches gor'd.

As You Like It, II. i. 21-25

I think it not amiss to begin and give that recreation precedency of place, which in mine opinion (however it may be esteemed partial) doth many degrees go before and precede all other, as being most royal for the stateliness thereof, most artificial for the wisdom and cunning thereof, and most manly and warlike for the use and endurance thereof. And this I hold to be the hunting of wild beasts in general: of which, as the chases are many, so will I speak of them particularly in their proper places. But before I proceed any farther I will tell you what hunting is, and from the true definition thereof make your way more easy and plain into the hidden art of the same. Hunting is then a curious search or conquest of one beast over another, pursued by a natural instinct of enmity, and accomplished by the diversities and distinction of smells only, wherein Nature equally dividing her cunning giveth both to the offender and offended strange knowledge both of offence and safety. In this recreation is to be seen the wonderful power of God in his creatures, and how far rage and policy can prevail against innocence and wisdom. But to proceed to my main purpose, you shall understand that as the chases are many which we daily hunt, as that of the stag, the buck, the roe, the hare, the fox, the badger, the otter, the boar, the goat and suchlike, so the pursuers or conquerors of these chases (speaking of hunting only) are but one kind of creatures, namely hounds.

GERVASE MARKHAM, Countrey Contentments 1611

Preparations for the chase

Immediately after supper the huntsman should go to his master's chamber, and, if he serve a king, then let him go to the Master of the Games' chamber, to know his pleasure in what quarter he determineth to hunt the day following, that he may know his own quarter. That done, he may go to bed,

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to the end he may rise the earlier in the morning, according to the time and season, and according to the place where he must hunt. Then, when he is up and ready, let him drink a good draught and fetch his hound to make him break his fast a little. And let him not forget to fill his bottle with good wine. That done, let him take a little vinegar in the palm of his hand, and put it in the nostrils of his hound, for to make him snuff, to the end his scent may be the perfecter. Then let him to the wood. And if he chance by the way to find any hare, partridge, or any other beast or bird that is fearful, living upon seeds or pasturage, it is an evil sign or presage that he shall have but evil pastime that day. But if he find any beast of ravine, living upon prey, as wolf, fox, raven and such like, that is a token of good luck.

GEORGE TURBERVILE, The noble arte of venerie or hunting 1576

The cry of the hounds

My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,
So flew'd, so sanded; and their heads are hung
With ears that sweep away the morning dew;
Crook-knee'd, and dew-lapp'd like Thessalian bulls
Slow in pursuit, but match'd in mouth like bells,
Each under each.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, iv. i. 125-130

If you would have your kennel for sweetness of cry, then you must compound it of some large dogs that have deep solemn mouths and are swift in spending, which must, as it were, bear the bass in the consort, then a double number of roaring and loud ringing mouths which must bear the countertenor, then some hollow plain sweet mouths which must bear the mean or middle part: and so with these three parts of music you shall make your cry perfect: and herein you shall observe that these hounds thus mixed do run just and even together, and not hang off loose one from another, which is the vilest sight that may be, and you shall understand that this composition is best to be made of the swiftest and largest deep-mouthed dog, the slowest middle sized dog, and the shortest-legged slender dog; and if amongst these you cast in a couple or two of small singing beagles, which as small trebles may warble amongst them, the cry will be a great deal the sweeter....

If you would have your kennel for depth of mouth, then you shall compound it of the largest dogs, which have the greatest mouths and deepest flews, such as your west-country Cheshire and Lancashire dogs are, and to five or six couple of bass mouths you shall not add above two couple of countertenors, as many means, and not above one couple of roarers, which being heard but now and then, as at the opening or hitting of a scent, will give much sweetness to the solemnness and graveness of the cry, and the music thereof will be much more delightful to the ears of every beholder.

GERVASE MARKHAM, Countrey Contentments 1611

Football (a puritan view)

Am I so round with you as you with me,
That like a football you do spurn me thus?

You spurn me hence, and he will spurn me hither:
If I last in this service, you must case me in leather.
The Comedy of Errors, II. i. 82-85

For as concerning football playing, I protest unto you it may rather be called a friendly kind of fight, than a play or recreation; a bloody and murdering practice, than a fellowly sport or pastime. For doth not every one lie in wait for his adversary, seeking to overthrow him and to pick him on his nose, though it be upon hard stones, in ditch or dale, in valley or hill, or what place soever it be he careth not, so he have him down. And he that can serve the most of this fashion, he is counted the only fellow, and who but he? So that by this means, sometimes their necks are broken, sometimes their backs, sometimes their legs, sometime their arms, sometime one part thrust out of joint, sometime another, sometime their noses gush out with blood, sometime their eyes start out, and sometimes hurt in one place, sometimes in another. But whosoever scapeth away the best goeth not scot-free, but is either sore wounded, and bruised, so as he dieth of it, or else scapeth very hardly. And no marvel, for they have sleights to meet one betwixt two, to dash him against the heart with their elbows, to hit him under the short ribs with their gripped fists, and with their knees to catch him upon the hip, and to pick him on his neck, with an hundred such murdering devices. And hereof groweth envy, malice, rancour, choler, hatred, displeasure, enmity and what

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