The Art and Practice of HawkingMichell, E. B. (Edward Blair)
History
The Art and Practice of Hawking
Michell, E. B. (Edward Blair)
Falconry
"When your Hawke, being so seeled, doth feede well, and will abide the
Hoode, and to be handled without striking or biting at your hand, then
in an evening by candle light you shall unseele her, and when you have
hooded her take her on your fist, and holde her so all night untill
day appeare againe, doing off her Hoode oftentimes, and handling her
gently with your hand, stroking her softly about the wings and the
body, hooding and unhooding of her and giving her sometimes to feede,
a morsell or twain, or sometimes tyring or plumage. But above all
things you must watch her on the fist so many nights together without
setting her downe on any pearch, that shee may be wearie and suffer you
to hoode and handle her gently without any manner of resistance, and
untill shee have altogether left and forgotten her striking and byting
at your hand; but some hawkes will be long before they leave that
fault, as the more coy or ramage that they be, the longer they will
retain all those ill tatches, and will not peradventure be wonne from
them in three, foure, or five dayes. When she is well reclaymed from it
then may you let her sit upon a pearch to rest her. But every night you
shall doe well to keepe her on the fist three or foure houres, handling
her and stroking her gently and causing her to tyre or to plume,
alwayes making much of her, and hooding and unhooding her oftentimes,
as before said. And the like you may doe also by daylight but in a
chamber apart where she may see no great light, untill she feed surely
and eagerly without dread.
"If your Hawke be thus in foure or five dayes manned so that she begin
to feede eagerly and boldly, then you shal first begin to make her
know your whistle or the chirping of your mouth, and afterwards your
voice." And he goes on to advise the giving of a live pullet in a place
where there is just enough light for the hawk to see it, and then to
"chyrpe with your voyce and use those other sounds which Falconers
do to their hawks"; and recommends for the ordinary feeding of the
haggard falcon, while being reclaimed, "pullets not very old, and
calves' hearts, weathers' hearts, and hogs' hearts," and, if she is not
eager for her food, to wash the meat either in cold water or wine, and
occasionally to give her, fasting, "as much sugar candy as the quantity
of a small nut."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account