FALCONRY.

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the favour of the fair, as are now their lap-dogs. 1 ’ Assu-redly no amusement could be more conducive to the healthof the frame, and, as far as that goes, towards procuring ahealthy and vigorous mind, than exercises so repletewith the comforts resulting from air and action, which so oftenawakened expectation, and had the pleasure so frequentlyto behold it gratified. But after the use of fire-armshad, in a manner, rendered falconry less general, the lovelysex could no more partake of those benefits which it con-ferred ; because the use of arms is generally attendedwith alarm, and sometimes with danger.

Among the most ancient writers on falconry, we mayconsider Demetrius, about anno 1270, who was phy-sician to the Emperor Michael Paleologus. His book,written in Greek, was first printed at Paris , in 1612, byNicholas Rigaltius, from a MS. in the royal library, andwas published, accompanied by a Latin translation of PeterGyllius. 12 Ollier works on the same subject, the antiquityof which is questioned, were printed at the same time.One in the dialect of Catalonia , has, it is said, the forgedtitle of Epistola Aquila, Symmachi et Tlieodotionis ad Pto-lontaum Regem /Egypti de re accipitraria. These writingstreat chiefly of the rearing and diseases of hawks; and pre-scribe for.cures, certain medicines, which, it is thought, wouldnot now be given. Aloes, to the size of a bean, are recom-mended as a purge; and quicksilver for itch or breaking out.It is also said of an untractable falcon, that being confinedsome time with a hood in a smith’s shop, the noise of thehammer tamed it. It appears, that Thomas Brown pub-lished, among certain miscellaneous tracts, in London , 8vo.1684, a paper, On Hawks and Falconry, ancient and modern.But the best informed observations on falconry of a latedate, we are told, are to be found in the work of that greatmaster in the art, and of sporting in genera], ColonelThornton. 13 The history of this art we have above professedto deliver, and have collected Hie best materials we couldprocure for that purpose.

** MimoWtt sur L’ancienne ChemlerUy par M. de la Came de Suinte-Palayf.Paris , 1759—1781, 3 vol. 12mo. tom. iii. p. 183. In this work are found manyanecdotes of ihe taste of the French ladies for the sports of the field, in those heroictimes.

** Rei accipitraria? scriptores nunc priraum edili. Accessit

Kvfvropin, Liber de cura cauum. Lutetian, 1612, 4to. Vide also FabriciiBiblioth. Gr&ca, lib. i. cap. 25, vol. i. 155, where, it appears, the year 1619 1agiven wrong.

We have heard this gcntleiqan once observe, that he thought himself wellqualified to teach the art.