the permiffion which he might grant them, whether by infeodation, conceffion, or privilege; and that he would be at liberty to restrain that right whenever he thought proper.

Nimrod, who reigned at Babylon, devoted himself to Hunting, and delivered his fubjects from the favage beasts that defolated the country. In the fequel, he eafily made foldiers of his companions in the chafe, and employed them in extending and establishing his conquefts.

Bold Nimrod first the lion's trophies wore, The panther bound, and lanc'd the bristling boar;

He taught to turn the hare, to bay the deer, And wheel the courfer in his mid' career: Ah! had he there reftrain'd his tyrant hand!TICKELL.

The facred hiftory describes the firft warriors under the name of Hunters. Nimrod is reprefented as "a mighty Hunter before the Lord." Hunting was indeed fo ufeful and fo neceffary to the rifing focieties, that there is reafon to think the first king was a Hunter. It is no wonder then that the first kings or heroes of which antiquity makes mention, should be characterised as celebrated Hunters. Bacchus is drawn by tygers, because he had fubdued them. Apollo obtained the laurels that encircle his head, by killing the ferpent Python. The heroes named Hercules (for there were many of that name) acquired thrones and altars by delivering mankind from a variety of monsters; and Diana merited her temples for having been conftantly employed in the destruction of noxious animals. In a word, Hunting is an employ. ment prescribed in the book of Mofes, and deified in the theology of the Pagans.

The Egyptians, in their moft fplendid times, were much addicted to Hunting; it was the moft common exercife of the children that were educated in the court of Sefoftris.

The fculpture in the two palaces of Babylon reprefented the Huntings of Ninus and Semiramis.

The two Cyrufes delighted in Hunting; and the latter had a park full of deer, at Celenes, a town of Phrygia.

The Perfans confidered Hunting as a very ferious employment, and an excellent preparative for war; in which they employed the fame weapons, the arrows and javelins, the hatchet, the pike, and the buckler.

The Lacedemonians, who were war riors by profeffion, cultivated Hunting with inceffant care: it was their ruling paffion: they had very fwift dogs, which, it is fuppofed, were greyhounds. Virg. Georg. iii. 405.

The dexterity of Ptolemy Epiphanes in Hunting is celebrated by Polybius: his ambaffador told the Athenians, that his mafter had killed a wild bull with a fingle arrow; and he deemed this a fufficient eulogy.

Xenophon, the difciple of Socrates, was an admirable defcriber of the Hunting of the hare, the ftag, and the wild boar. He has indeed written a treatise expressly upon this fubject.

The Romans, on the contrary, held Hunting in fuch contempt, that they left the ufe of it to their flaves, and to the very dregs of the people. They were apprehenfive that Hunting, which so easily becomes a paffion, might divert the citi zens from their effential duties. Nevertheless, being fenfible that this exercise, from the fatigues which it occasions, the dangers incident to it, and its inuring the fpectator to the fhedding of blood, was proper to form men to war, they adopted the idea of frequently entertaining-the people with dreadful and magnificent reprefentations of the Hunting of wild beafts, &c.

In the year 502 of Rome, 142 elephants, that were taken in Sicily from the Carthaginians, were brought to the Circus, and afforded the people a public exhibition, in feeing these animals fight and deftroy each other.

Auguftus, in a fingle day, caufed 500 wild beats to fight in like manner; and Scaurus introduced a feahorse and 500 crocodiles.

The Emperor Probus exhibited 1000 oftriches, 1000 ftags, 1000 wild boars, 1000 deer, 1000 hinds, and 1000 wild rams; afterwards 100 Syrian lions, 100 lioneffes, and 300 bears.-Sylla had given, before him, 100 lions; Pompey, 315; and Cæfar, 400.

The lords, who, in the Low Countries, ftill retain the femblance of feudal power in the criminal jurisdiction, poffefs alfo, in their baronies or manors, moft of the rights that are enjoyed by the lords of manors in England. These rights, in fome inftances, have been abridged by the laws of Brabant. As an example of this fort, it may be remarked, that by an article in the Joyous entry of Brabant in

the

the fourteenth century, it is declared, that all the natives of that province fhall enjoy the privilege of Hunting with hound and hawk through all the lands of Brabant, excepting only in the forefts of the Prince, and in thofe manors, few in number, that had acquired the right of free warren before the beginning of that century; an article which marks, among many others, the early influence which the commons acquired in this province, who were thus able to controul the feudal batons in thofe amufements of which they were the most jealous, the amusements of the chafe. The fame article extends alfo to all the natives of Brabant the right of fishing in the river Senne, which paffes through Bruffels. The Brabanders have not failed, by the exercise of these rights, to maintain the poffeffion of them.

In the foreft of the Ardennes St Hubert was held in particular veneration. Of this Saint the holy legends record, that he was born of noble parents, was an idolater, and a Hunter in the woods, when, as he purfued the game, a deer presented itself, between whofe horns was planted a miraculous crofs. Struck by this miracle, St Hubert forfook the rude life of a Hunter, and embracing the Chriftian faith, became an eminent Apoftle in the Ardennes. The feftival of St Hubert, precious to sportsmen, and confecrated to the chafe, ftill recalls the delight that this Saint took in his firft profeffion of a Hunter. Neither has St Hubert ceafed to work miracles, and to lend his aid to those who suffer harm from the dog, his faithful companion in the chafe. All who have the misfortune to be bit by a mad dog repair to the Ardennes and the Abbey of St Hubert, and by their devotion to the Saint obtain, as it is faid, a complete cure.

Horace fays, that the chafe is a noble exercife, which contributes both to health and reputation; and as fuch he recommends it to his friend Lollius. Lib. I. Epift. 18.

Pliny the younger, writing to Tacitus, boafts much of a chafe in which he had taken three wild boars. "You cannot imagine," he adds, " how much the ex"ercife of the body contributes to the fprightlinefs of the mind."

The Emperor Adrian was so much addicted to Hunting, and fo fond of horses and dogs, that he erected monuments to their memory, and inscribed epitaphs on

them. He also built a city in Myfia, which he called Adrianoteres, i. e. A. drian's Chafe, to commemorate his having, with his own hand, killed a wild boar in that country.

Polybius relates, that Maximus reftored difcipline in the Roman legions, by often exercifing them in Hunting.

It was an obfervation of John-James Rouffeau, that the favages of America who live only upon the produce of their Hunting, have never been fubdued.

Hunting was common among the an cient Gauls. In every town they had a facred tree, on which the Hunters fufpended fome parts of the animals they had killed, and confecrated them to their goddess Arduenna.

In the first ages of the French monarchy, no freeman, or noble, ever went abroad without a hawk upon his fift. This was what diftinguished him, in particular, from a vaffal. The game-laws too were as fevere against offences under their cognifance, as against more atrocious crimes. A perfon convicted of having ftolen a greyhound was to pay forty-five fous of the money of thofe times, which was the punishment fixed for the murder of a Roman tributary; and the stealing of a hawk was punished by a fine equal to that which was decreed for the murder of a slave.

By the laws of Gondebaut, Duke of Burgundy, any person that ftole a dog was fentenced to lick his pofteriors, in the prefence of a whole company. The ftealer of a hawk was obliged to let that bird eat five ounces of flesh from his stomach, unless he chofe rather to pay fix crowns to the proprietor, and two, as a fine, to the exchequer.

A Hunting party terminated the great affemblies, which the first Kings of France, held under the name of Parliaments.

Charles IX. King of France, compofed a learned treatife on Stag-Hunting. It was printed at Paris in 1625, and is dedicated to Lewis XIII.

Falconry was fcarcely known to the ancients. Julius Firmicus, who lived in the reign of the Emperor Conftance, is the first who makes mention of it. Demetrius of Conftantinople, and Albert le Grand, who have written on the subject, employ but a few terms of art, because this diverfion was then little known.

The French, who are the most skilful Falconers in Europe, have introduced a great number of terms in this art, which,

however,

however, has been much neglected fince the introduction of fire-arms in the sports of the field.

Plato calls the Chafe a divine amufement, and a fchool for the military virtues. One day, as Marthal Turenne and Gen. Wrangel, confiding in the treaties of Munfter and Ofnabrug, were taking the diverfion of Hunting, they were furprised to find that the dragoons fled, whom they had pofted at the entrance of the foreft, crying out at the fame time, that all was loft. It feems that John de Wert, the famous Imperial partizan, had that inftant made his appearance with his flying camp. He had paffed the Danube at Munich, and being perfectly acquainted with the country, was advancing to the foreft by the only avenue that led to it. The two French Generals, in this emer gency, did not lose their prefence of mind. They were near a morafs, which they had only to cross, to be in fafety. But where were they to find a ford? There was reafon to fear, that while they were looking for one, the active John de Wert, in purfuit of his prey, would not fail to attack them. A ftag pointed out their ford; they faw him wind his way through the middle of the morafs: they followed him, without hesitation, as a guide, and happily arrived on the other fide.

Frothaire, Bishop of Toul, finding his diccefe ravaged by wolves, which devou. red men, ordered a faft of three days, with folemn proceffions: he then made war upon the wolves at the head of a party of hunters, and with fuch fuccefs, that he boafted of having killed 200 of them himself.

There was formerly fuch a number of wolves in France, that a kind of tax was obliged to be raised for the hunting of them. Charles V. in 1377, exempted from this tax the inhabitants of Fontenay, near the wood of Vincennes.

Francis 1. was obliged to establish certain officers in every province, called wolf-hunters (Louvetiers); and over thefe he appointed a chief, under the title of Le Grand Louvetier de France-The Grand Wolf-bunter of France.

An edict of Henry III. in 1583, enjoined all the officers of the waters and forefts, to felect thrice a-year, one man out of every family, in each parifh of their respective departments, with wea pons and dogs, to hunt the wolves. By thefe wife precautions, the wolves have been almoft extirpated in France; as they have abfolutely been in England, through

the excellent policy of King Edgar, who impofed a tribute of wolves heads upon the fovereigns of Wales.

-Wife, potent, gracious Prince!
His fubjects from their cruel foes he fav'd,
And from rapacious savages their flocks;
Cambria's proud kings (though with reluc-
tance) paid

Their tributary wolves, head after head,
In full account, till the woods yield no more,

And all the ravenous race extinct is loft.
In fertile paftures more securely graz'd
The focial troops; and from their large in-

creafe

With curling fleeces whiten'd all the plains. SOMERVILLE.

Nevertheless, in the commencement of the reign of Lewis XIV. in the depth of winter and of the fnows, a large party of dragoons were attacked, near Pontharlier, at the foot of the mountains of Jura, by a multitude of wolves: the dragoons fought bravely, and killed many hundreds of them; but at laft, overpowered by numbers, they and their horfes were all devoured. A crofs is erected on the place of combat, with an infcription to commemorate it, which is ftill to be seen,

This defcent of the wolves from the Alps and the Appenines, when "roufed by wintery famine," is finely defcribed by Thomson, in his Winter, line 389 to 423.

The celebrated Saunderfon, profeffor of mathematics at Cambridge, although deftitute of fight, continued to hunt to a very advanced period of life; his horfe was accuftomed to follow that of his fervant; and his fatisfaction was extreme when he heard the noife of the hounds and huntsmen.

Carloman, King of France, fon of Lewis le Begue (the Stammerer) pursuing a a wild boar in the foreft of Iveline, near Montfort, was wounded by one of his guards, and died feven days after. had the magnanimity to declare that he had been wounded by the wild boar, that he might fave the innocent author of his death.

He

William the Conqueror had fuch a paffion for hunting, that he depopulated the country in Hampshire for an extent of thirty miles, driving away inhabitants; deftroying the villages, houfes, and plantations; and ftocking it with deer. To this. defolated spot he gave the name which it ftill bears-The New Foreft.-This extenfive defolation is defcribed by Pope in his Windfor Foreft:

In

So fevere and fo favage, indeed, were the foreft-laws introduced by the Conqueror, that the death of a beaft was a capital offence, as well as the death of a man; and among other punishments for offences against thefe laws, were caftration, lofs of eyes, and cutting off the hands and feet, which continued in force till repealed by that brave and magnanimous Prince, Richard Cœur de Lion.

The Emperor, the King of Spain, the Duke of Savoy, and all Italy, having formed a confederacy againft Charles Duke of Mantua, Lewis XIII. of France determined to affift that Prince in perfon. In paffing through Chalons-fur-Saone, the Duke of Lorain went to vifit him, and knowing his extreme paffion for the chafe, offered him a numerous and excellent pack of hounds. The King, how ever, declined the prefent, with this noble anfwer: Coufin, I never hunt but when my affairs permit me: my occupations are of a more serious kind, and I mean to convince all Europe that the interefts of my allies are dear to me. When I have effectually affifted the Duke of Mantua, I will refume my amufements, till fome other ally has occafion for my affiftance."

It being obferved to the Duke de Longueville, that the gentlemen bordering on his eftates were continually hunting on them, and that he ought not to fuffer it: "I had much rather," answered he, "have friends than hares."

The grandfather of the Conftable de Lefdiguieres having had a difference concerning their respective rights in hunting with the Bishop of Gap, his neighbour, a haughty and irafcible prelate, fome mutual friends undertook to reconcile them; and engaged them to have an interview at the Caftle of Lair. When they met, the Bishop made ufe of fuch infult ing language, that M. de Lefdiguieres, unable to bear it, threw him out of the window, As the window, however, was not very high, the prelate efcaped with only fome bruifes. The Pope, and the whole order of ecclefiaftics interfering in the quarrel, M. de Lefdiguieres was obliged to quit France, and was ftript of all his effects. The fervices which he rendered his country during his exile,

procured him the liberty of returning, although not for a long time after. But his effects were never reftored; and his family was fo much impoverished by this circumftance, that his grandfon, the Conftable, when he first entered into the army, had not above 700 livres (301. 12 5. 6 d.) a-year.

Charles VI. hunting in the foreft of Senlis, took a large ftag, which had a collar of gilt leather, with this infcription, Hoc me Cæfar donavit. The King, from this circumftance, took two flying ftags, as the fupporters of the arms of France.-A hind was found fome time after, with this motto, Noli me tangere, quia me Cæfaris fum.

De Thou, the excellent hiftorian of France, relates, that the Marshal de Beaumanoir, hunting one day in a forest of the province of Maine, his attendants brought to him a man whom they had found fleeping in a thicket. On his forehead were two horns, formed and fixed like those of a ram. He had a long red and woolly beard, fuch as the Satyrs have been reprefented to have in the fic tions of the poets. Being thus deprived of liberty, and carried about from fair to fair, he took it fo much to heart, that he died at Paris about three months after, Over his grave was placed the following epitaph:

Dans ce petit endroit à part,
Git un fingulier cornard;
Car il l'etoit fans avoir femme:
Paffans, priez Dieu pour fon ame.

In this fmall fequefter'd place

Of a rare cuckold is the grave:
For fuch without a wife he was:

Trav'ilers, pray God his foul to fave.

We have mentioned the feverity of the ancient foreft-laws. In fpeaking of them, Judge Blackstone has thefe words: "From à fimilar principle to which, though the foreft-laws are now mitigated, and by degrees grown entirely obfolete, yet from this root has fprung a baftard flip, known by the name of the game-law, now arrived to and wantoning in its highest vi gour; both founded on the fame unrea fonable notions of permanent property in wild creatures, and productive of the fame tyranny to the commons; but with this difference, that the foreft-laws established only one mighty hunter throughout the land, the game-laws have raised a little Nimrod in every manor.”