R. H.

“ If a Hawk take a Tree, and will not fly at all, feed him then upon quick Birds, and make him foot them, and in the plain Champaign Fields unhood him, and rising up and down awhile let one cast out a Field Partridge before him, let him fly at it, and footing it, feed on it. If they be too fond of a Man, that after a stroke or two will not fly, be seldom familiar with him, and reward him not as he comes so improperly: Otherwise reward him well. ”

“ Now if you design to raise a Peal of Bells for Changes, you ought to raise them to a Set-pull, as the most proper for commanding the Notes, and he who is not well skilled to manage his Bell at a Set-pull, will be apt to drop or overturn it, be in a Wood, and fruitlessly toil and moil himself. ”

“ In taking Time, you must observe never to Thrust, but when you see a fair Opportunity, or otherwise it is the Thrusting at your Adversary when he is making the Feint, or the flipping of him, when you perceive him about to Bind or Bear your Sword. ”

“ Fish in general take all such baits freely, as nature at that season affords in or near the places where you Angle, for being used to them they are not afraid of any deceit, but take them as their common food. And for flies in this case, in a Morning or Evening, when you go to Angle beat the bushes about the Rivers or Ponds, and such Flies as you rouse there, Fish with, either Natural, or imitate them by Art; as also see what Worms or other Insects fit for baits stick on the Leaves, Grass, or are in the Water; and in this Observation you cannot miss of good Sport ”

“ Put Carp, Bream and Tench by themselves: Pike, Pearch, Eel, and Tench (the Fishes Physician) by themselves; for Food of the greater Fishes, put store of Roach, Dace, Loach and Menow; and Lastly to one Melter, put three Spawners, and in three Years the increase will be great, and in five Years with difficulty be destroyed.
In 3 Years Sue your Pond; which you must continue to do, for the Roach will increase in such abundance, that eating up the sweet food, will make other Fish, as Carps, &c. be very lean: Therefore every Year view your Pond, and observe if any such Fry appears, thin them. ”

“ For the Choice of Hounds we are to rely much on their Colours, and accordingly make our Election. The Best and most Beautiful of all for a general Kennel, is, the White Hound, with Black Ears, and a black spot at the setting on of the Tail, and is ever found to be both of good Scent, and good Condition, and will Hunt any Chase, but especially the Hare, Stag, Buck Roe, or Otter, not sticking at Woods or Waters. ”

“ Observe in charging your Rocket, at every quarter of an ounce of Ingredients or thereabouts, you ram it down very hard, forcing your Rammer with a wooden Mallet, or some weighty piece of Wood, but no Iron or Stone, for fear any Sparkles of Fire fly out and take your Combustible Matter ”

“ Dig it in as big and large a Compass as the Ground will permit; throw your Earth amongst the said stakes, and ram it down hard till you have covered the stakes: Drive in as many new ones next the first stakes, and ram more Earth above them, with stakes above stakes till the head-sides be of a convenient height: Taking care, that the inside of your Banks be smooth, even, hard and strong, that the Current of the Water, may not wear off the Earth. ”

“ How to bring Fish, if any in the Pond or River, to the place you desire.
Boyl clean Barly in Water till it bursts, with Licorice, and a little Mummy; add some Honey and beat them together in a Mortar into a stiff Paste, and boyl about the quantity of a Wall-nut of this Paste with a quart of Barly till it grows Glutenous, and then lay it for a ground bait, and the Fish will flock about it from all parts.
To make worms for Baits come out of the Ground. ”

“ Winter time is the most proper for taking all manner of Small Birds, as flocking then promiscuosly together, Larks, Lennets, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Yellow-Hammers, &c. with this Bird-lime, Put to a quarter of a Pound of Bird-lime, an ounce of fresh Lard, or Capons-grease, and let it gently melt together over the Fire, but not Boyl; then take a quantity of Wheat-ears, as you think your use shall require, and cut the straw about a foot long besides the Ears, and from the Ear lime the straw six Inches; the warmer it is, the less discernible it will be. ”

“ First, by raising up or gathering your Adversaries Sword.
Secondly, by striking at his Sword, and making half Thrusts at the Body, by which he will be doubtful when you intend to give in your Thrust, and finding an Opportunity give it home; and ever when you persue this Guard, let your Left-hand be in a readiness to Parie your Opponents Thrust, if he Thrust just as you are Thrusting, which is the main defence on this Guard.
Thirdly you may give a stroak at his Left-hand; after you give a beat at his sword, and see if by so doing, you can force him to betake himself to another Guard. ”

“ That of a Matter being most common, but where none of these can be had by the party desirous to Learn, I shall lay down the following Directions, which will very much Instruct one that hath a Musical Ear, especially such a one as has heard, and can Sing the Notes of the Six Bells, of which, I presume, there are few, whose Genius Leads them to the Science of Musick, are Ignorant. ”

“ Take a strong Line and Hook baited with a Lob, or Garden-Worm, and observing where Eels lurk in the day time, with a stick forked at the Top, gently put your Bait into the Hole, and if there be any Eels there, you will not fail of a Bite, of as large as can be had, but pull not too hard lest you spoyl all. ”

“ Have a nimble Eye, and active quick Hand to strike presently upon the rising of the Fish, lest finding his mistake he spew out the Hook.
[Pg 167] 4. In slow Rivers cast your Fly cross them, let it sink a little, draw it back gently, without breaking or circling the Water; let the Fly float with the Current, and you will not fail of excellent Sport.
5. Observe to let the Wings of your Salmon-Flies to be one behind another, whether two or four, and they and the Tail long, and of the finest gaudiest Colours you can choose. ”

“ If your Adversary offers to answer your stroak, and go to the Parade, then your best way is to slip him, and give in a Thrust without, and above the Sword, or when you perceive him going to Parade, then suddenly slip and make a double Feint on the [Pg 87] other side, and Thrust on that side you gave the Beat.
In the contrary of this Parie, with the Counter-caveating Parade, or meet his stroak, and make a half Thrust, which will force him to the Parade; and so you may pursue. ”

“ This was an Ancient Practice, but is now laid aside, since we have learnt a more advantageous way of hanging our Bells, that we can man [Pg 104] age a Bell with more ease at a Set-pull than formerly: So that Ringing at Half-Pulls is now the modern general Practice; that is, when one Change is made at Fore-stroke, another at Back-stroke, &c.
He that Rings the slowest Hunt, ought to notify the extream Changes; which is, when the Leading Bell is pulling down, that he might make the Change next before the extreme, he ought to say, Extreme. ”

“ From hence Changes are made, which is only a Changing place of one Note with another, so variously, as Musick may be heard a thousand ways of Harmony; which being so obvious to common Observation, I shall not go about to demonstrate; for that if two may be varied two ways, surely by the Rule of Multiplication, a Man may easily learn how many times 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or 12 Bells Notes may be varied ”

“ To Thrust or make an Elong, observe (when you stand to your Guard, and your Adversary be within your Measure) that your Sword be as you please, either within or without your Adversaries Sword, and suppose within, then stretch out your Right-arm, and Step forward with your Right-foot as far as may be, keeping the Point strait forwards, and let the Motion of your Arm begin a thought before you move your Foot, so that the Thrust may be given home before your Adversary can hear your Foot touch the Ground ”

“ Carp, Tench and Eel, frequent foul muddy still Waters. The greatest Eels lurk under stones, or Roots; the smallest ones are found in all sorts of Rivers or Soils: The Carp is for the deepest stillest part of Pond or River, and so is the Tench, and both delight in green Weeds.
Pearch delighteth in gentle Streams of a reasonable Depth, not too shallow; close by a hollow Bank is their common Sanctuary.
Gudgeon covets Sandy, Gravelly, Gentle Streams, and smaller Rivers; not so much abounding in Brooks. He bites best in Spring, till they spawn, and a little after till Wasp time. ”

“ Procure a pair of Wheels, being of Light Wood, like that of a Spinning Wheel, fasten them on an Axel-tree, and place Rockets round them, as bands are fastened round a Wheel, and so primed at Tail and Head, that when one Expires the other may take fire, half of them placed with their Heads and Tails the contrary way to the first: So that when the first are spent, and the Wheels have run on plain Ground a great way, the other firing will turn them again, and bring them to the place where they first set out. ”

“ Being hard filled to a quarter of an Inch, stop that with wet Powder, called Wild-fire; place as many as you think convenient on the Head of a great Rocket, pasted on in a Rowl of Paper, so that it may not fall off till the Rocket bursts, there being a little dry Powder in it to force the end when the stream of fire ceases, at which time they taking, will appear like a shower of Fire of a golden Colour, spreading themselves in the Air, and then tending directly downwards. ”