[38] Or, "whisking their tails and frisking wildly, and jostling
against one another, and leaping over one another at a great
rate." Al. "over one obstacle, and then another."
[39] Or, "this is the true line at last."
[40] Al. "with a crash of tongues."
When at length the hounds show symptoms of fatigue, and it is already late in the day, the time has come for the huntsman to look for his hare that lies dead-beat; nor must he wittingly leave any patch of green or clod of earth untested.[41] Backwards and forwards he must try and try again the ground,[42] to be sure that nothing has been overlooked. The fact is, the little creature lies in a small compass, and from fatigue and fear will not get up. As he leads the hounds on he will cheer and encourage them, addressing with many a soft term the docile creature, the self-willed, stubborn brute more rarely, and to a moderate extent the hound of average capacity, till he either succeeds in running down or driving into the toils some victim.[43] After which he will pick up his nets, both small and large alike, giving every hound a rub down, and return home from the hunting-field, taking care, if it should chance to be a summer's noon, to halt a bit, so that the feet of his hounds may not be blistered on the road.
[41] Lit. "anything which earth puts forth or bears upon her bosom."
[42] Or, "Many and many a cast back must he make."
[43] The famous stanzas in "Venus and Adonis" may fitly close this
chapter.
And when thou hast on foot the purblind hare, Mark the poor wretch, to overshoot his troubles How he outruns the wind and with what care He cranks and crosses with a thousand doubles:
The many musets through the which he goes
Are like a labyrinth to amaze his foes.
Sometimes he runs among a flock of sheep, To make the cunning hounds mistake their smell, And sometimes where earth-delving conies keep, To stop the loud pursuers in their yell,
And sometimes sorteth with a herd of deer:
Danger deviseth shifts; wit waits on fear:
For there his smell with others being mingled, The hot scent-snuffing hounds are driven to doubt, Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled With much ado the cold fault cleanly out:
Then do they spend their mouths: Echo replies,
As if another chase were in the skies.
By this, poor Wat, far off upon a hill, Stands on his hinder legs with listening ear, To hearken if his foes pursue him stilclass="underline" Anon their loud alarums he doth hear;
And now his grief may be compared well
To one sore sick that hears the passing-bell.
Then shalt thou see the dew-bedabbled wretch Turn, and return, indenting with the way; Each envious brier his weary legs doth scratch, Each shadow makes him stop, each murmur stay:
For misery is trodden on by many,
And being low never relieved by any.
VII
For breeding purposes choose winter, and release the bitches from hard work;[1] which will enable them to profit by repose and to produce a fine progeny towards spring, since that season is the best to promote the growth of the young dogs. The bitch is in heat for fourteen days,[2] and the moment at which to put her to the male, with a view to rapid and successful impregnation, is when the heat is passing off. Choose a good dog for the purpose. When the bitch is ready to whelp she should not be taken out hunting continuously, but at intervals sufficient to avoid a miscarriage through her over-love of toil. The period of gestation lasts for sixty days. When littered the puppies should be left to ther own dam, and not placed under another bitch; foster-nursing does not promote growth in the same way, whilst nothing is so good for them as their own mother's milk and her breath,[3] and the tenderness of her caresses.[4]
[1] Or, "Winter is the time at which to pair dogs for breeding, the
bitches to be released from hard work, so that with the repose so
secured they may produce a fine litter in spring."
[2] Lit. "this necessity holds." Cf. Aristot. "H. A." vi. 20; Arrian,
xxvii., xxxi. 3.
[3] Cf. Eur. "Tro." 753, {o khrotos edu pneuma}.
[4] Cf. Arrian, xxx. 2; Pollux, v. 50; Columella, vii. 12, 12, ap.
Schneid.
Presently, when the puppies are strong enough to roam about, they should be given milk[5] for a whole year, along with what will form their staple diet in the future, but nothing else. A heavy diet will distort the legs of a young dog, engender disease in other limbs, and the internal mechanism will get out of order.[6]
[5] See Arrian, xxxi.; Stonehenge, p. 264.
[6] Or, "the internal organs get wrong" ({adika}). Cf. "Memorabilia,"
IV. iv. 5.
They should have short names given them, which will be easy to call out.[7] The following may serve as specimens:-Psyche, Pluck, Buckler, Spigot, Lance, Lurcher, Watch, Keeper, Brigade, Fencer, Butcher, Blazer, Prowess, Craftsman, Forester, Counsellor, Spoiler, Hurry, Fury, Growler, Riot, Bloomer, Rome, Blossom, Hebe, Hilary, Jolity, Gazer, Eyebright, Much, Force, Trooper, Bustle, Bubbler, Rockdove, Stubborn, Yelp, Killer, Pele-mele, Strongboy, Sky, Sunbeam, Bodkin, Wistful, Gnome, Tracks, Dash.[8]
[7] Cf. Arrian, xxxi. 2; Oppian, "Cyn," i. 443; ap. Schneid.
[8] The following is Xenophon's list:-
{Psukhe} = Soul {Thumos} = Spirit {Porpax} = Hasp of shield {Sturax} = Spike of spear at the butt end {Logkhe} = Lance {Lokhos} = Ambush, or "Company" {Phroura} = Watch {Phulax} = Guard {Taxis} = Order, Rank, Post, Brigade {Xiphon} = Swordsman {Phonax} = Slaughterer, cf. "King Death" {Phlegon} = Blazer {'Alke} = Prowess, Victory {Teukhon} = Craftsman {'Uleus} = Woodsman, "Dashwood" {Medas} = Counsellor {Porthon} = Spoiler, "Rob Roy" {Sperkhon} = Hastener, "Rocket" {'Orge} = Fury, Rage {Bremon} = Growler, Roarer {'Ubris} = Hybris, Riot, Insolence {Thallon} = Blooming, "Gaudy" {'Rome} = Strength, "Romeo" {'Antheus} = Blossom {'Eba} = Youth {Getheus} = Gladsome {Khara} = Joy {Leusson} = Gazer {Augo} = Daybeam {Polus} = Much {Bia} = Force {Stikhon} = Stepping in rank and file {Spoude} = Much ado {Bruas} = Gusher {Oinas} = (1) Vine, (2) Rockdove. See Aristot. "H. A." v. 13,
14; i. 3, 10; Ael. "N. A." iv. 58. = Columba livia =
rockdove, the colour of ripening grapes; al. {oinas} =
the vine. {Sterros} = "Stiff," "King Sturdy" {Krauge} = Clamour. Cf. Plat. "Rep." 607 B. {Kainon} = Killer {Turbas} = "Topsy-turvy" {Sthenon} = Strong man {Aither} = Ether {'Aktis} = Ray of light {Aikhme} = Spear-point {Nors} = Clever (girl) {Gnome} = Maxim {Stibon} = Tracker {'Orme} = Dash. So Arrian ("Cyn." viii. 5) named his favourite hound.
For other names see Herodian, {peri mon. l} (on monosyllables),
12. 7; "Corp. Inscr." iv. p. 184, n. 8319; Arrian, v. 6, xix.;
Colum. vii. 12, 13. According to Pollux, v. 47, Xenophon had a dog
named {ippokentauros} (cf. "Cyrop." IV. iii. 17).
The young hounds may be taken out to the chase at the age of eight months[9] if bitches, or if males at the age of ten. They should not be let loose on the trail of a hare sitting,[10] but should be kept attached by long leashes and allowed to follow on a line while scenting,[11] with free scope to run along the trail.[12]
[9] Cf. Pollux, v. 54; al. Arrian, xxv., xxvi.
[10] Pollux, v. 12.
[11] "The dogs that are trailing," Blane.
[12] See Stonehenge, "Entering of greyhound and deerhound, of
foxhounds and harriers," pp. 284, 285.
As soon as a hare is found, provided the young hounds have the right points[13] for running, they should not be let loose straight off: the huntsman should wait until the hare has got a good start and is out of sight, then let the young hounds go.[14] The result of letting slip young hounds, possessed of all the requisite points and full of pluck,[15] is that the sight of the hare will make them strain too violently and pull them to bits,[16] while their frames are as yet unknit; a catastrophe against which every sportsman should strenuously guard. If, on the other hand, the young hounds do not promise well for running,[17] there is no harm in letting them go. From the start they will give up all hope of striking the hare, and consequently escape the injury in question.[18]