Philip I. Earle of Pembroke, that was
the great hunter. It was in his lordship's time, sc. tempore Jacobi I.
and Caroli I. a serene calme of peace, that hunting was at its
greatest heighth that ever was in this nation. The Roman governours
had not, I thinke, that leisure. The Saxons were never at quiet; and
the barons' warres, and those of York and Lancaster, took up the
greatest part of the time since the Conquest: so that the glory of the
English hunting breath'd its last with this Earle, who deceased about
1644, and shortly after the forests and parkes were sold and converted
into arable, &c. 'Twas after his lordship's decease [1650] that I was
a hunter; that is to say, with the Right Honourable William, Lord
Herbert, of Cardiff, the aforesaid Philip's grandson. Mr. Chr. Wace
then taught him Latin, and hunted with him; and 'twas then that he
translated Gratii Cynegeticon, and dedicated it to his lordship, which
will be a lasting monument for him. Sir Jo. Denham was at Wilton at
that time about a twelve moneth.
___________________________________
The Wiltshire greyhounds were also the best of England, and are still;
and my father and I have had as good as any were in our times in
Wiltshire. They are generally of a fallow colour, or black; but Mr.
Button's, of Shirburn in Glocestershire, are some white and some
black. But Gratius, in his Cynegeticon, adviseth:-
"And chuse the grayhound py'd with black and white,
He runs more swift than thought, or winged flight;
But courseth yet in view, not hunts in traile,
In which the quick Petronians never faile.
Pages:
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151