44 Natural Magick, Doo^r.

instructed how to perform it readily, to make them fitter for our uses. We shewedbefore out of Artstotle ^that if we would mingle Creatures of divers kind*, we mustfee that they be Of like bigneffe, of a like proponion of time for their breeding,of a like colour; but especially, that they be very lecherous; for otherwise theywill hardly insert themselves into a strange stock. If a Falconer be desirous to pro-duce fighting Hawks, or Cocks, or other birds, he must first seek out good lustymales, such as besttong and stomackful, that they may derive the fame qualities in-to their young ones. Next, they must pro.ure strong and couragious females: ferif but one of them be stomackful, the young ones will rather take after the dulnesseand faint-heart of the one, then after the quicknesse and courage of the ether.When you have thus made choice of the best breeders, before their copulation,you must keep them together within doors, and bring them by little and little ac-quainted with each other.} which you may best do, by causing them to feed and tolive together. Therefore you must prepare a pretty little cottage, about ten footlong, and ten foot broad; and let all the windows be made out toward the South,so that there may good store of light come in at the top of the house. In the mid-dle you must make a partition with lattifes or grates, made of Osiers: and let therods stand so far asunder, as that the birds head and neck may go in between them :and in one side of the room, let that bird be alone by her self, which you wouldmake tame ; in the other side, put the other birds which you purpose to join in co-pulation with the strange bitd. So then, in the prime of the Spring, (for that is thetime wherein all Creatures arc most eager in lust) yen must get you fruitful birds,and let them be of the fame colour, as is the bird which you desire to become tame.These you must keep certain daies at the fame boord as it were, and give them theirmeat together, so that the strange bird may come at it through the grate: for by thismeans she will learn to be acquainted with them, as with her fellows, and will livequietly by them, being as it were kept in prison from doing them any wrong :whereas otherwise she would be so fierce upon them, that she would spare none,but if she could, destroy them all. But when once by tract of time, and continu-al acquaintance with his fellows, this male-bird is become somewhat gentle, lookwhich of the females he is most familiar with,let her be put in the fame room wherehe is ; and give them both meat enough. And because commonly he either kills,or doth not care for the first female that is put unto him, therefore, lest the keepershould lose all his hope, he must keep divers females for supply. When you perceivethat he hath gotten the female with young, presently you must divorce one of themfrom the other^wd let him in a new mate,that he may fill her astound you must seedher well till she begin to fit upon her egges, or put the eggei under some other thatfits. And thus shall yon have a young one, in all respects like the Cock: but assoon as the young ones are out of the shell, let them be brought up by themselves,not of their mother, but of some other Heo-birdf Last of all, the females of thisbrood, when they be come to ripencsse, that they stand co their Cock, their firstor their second brood will be a very exact and absolute kinde.

Chap. XIV. .

Divers commixtions of Hens with other Birds.

tA7E will begin with Hens, because they are in great request with us, and are* " houfhold-birds, alwayes before onr eyes; and besides, they may be very pro-fitable wd gainful, st we can tell how to procreate and bring up divers kinds ofthem. Cocks are of all other most lecherous j and they spend their feed, not onlyH^h? fight yf their Hens, but even when they hear them crake or cackle; and to' lust,they are oftentimes carved, ! Theytreacs and fall to their Sort,

4 k»cstl^t&eywiidng f ‘ Some Hens are very hist and withal very fruit sol; t#fo-

j jjppifcb tbfit they lay three-fcorc egges before they fit-ttf hatch them : yea, ictne thatare kept in a pen, do lay twice fn one day; and some bring forth such store