192
OF HAWKS AND HOUNDS IN ESSEX
served of the sport obtained with the hawks at Thorndon, and up to
what date they were maintained there. Having the honour to know
the present (as well as the late) Lord Petre, I ventured to inquire for
information on this subject, but without success, although his lord-
ship is under the impression that some account of hawking at
Thorndon was published in one of the earlier volumes of the
"Gentleman's Magazine." A recent search, however, through
several volumes, has not brought it to light.
It may be worth mention here that two notable books, one on
hawking, the other on hunting, have been written and published by
Essex men. The first is entitled, "An Approved Treatise of Hawks
and Hawking," 1619, by Edmund Bert, gentleman, who resided at
Collier Row, near Romford, and was very successful in training the
goshawk. In his prefatory remarks to the friendly reader he says :—
"In truth I have not kept any hawke above three yeares, but I have
put them off for much money, besides many thanks and much love.
I had for a Goshawk and a Tarsell a hundred marks, both solde to
one man within sixteen months."
The other work referred to is an essay "On the Art and the
Pleasures of Hare Hunting, in Six Letters, to a Person of Quality."
By John Smallman Gardiner, gent., 1750. It is dated, "From
my Kennel, near Rumford," and shows the author to have been a
thoroughly practical sportsman. He thus concludes :—
" You know I live in a woodland country and write like such a one; my hunts-
man is obliged to be always on foot, and a nimble one. The properties requisite
to make a good one are (as before is hinted) everlasting patience, indefatigable-
ness, a good heel, tolerable musical voice and a natural love for Hounds and
Hunting. Lying tongues the honestest carry, but if they don't impose on their
masters they may be pardoned. Hare hunting is fine recreation and (for innumer-
able reasons) worthy of being followed ; but often such hard exercise on foot, that,
were boys put apprentice to it, not one in fifty would serve out his time."
Essex hares have been commended for their staying powers, and
Daniel relates in his "Rural Sports" (vol. i, p. 459), that in February,
1789, the hounds of Mr. Barnard, of Lindsell Hall, found a hare
near Felsted, in Essex, which was taken alive out of a drain in a
farm-yard, after running upwards of twenty miles in little better than
two hours.
Mr. W. Cole has called my attention to the four following contem-
porary accounts of Royal Huntings in the Forest.7 The first is from
7 There is a somewhat wild legend extant that it was at supper at "Friday Hill House," Ching-
ford, after a day's hunting in Epping Forest, that Charles II. performed the freak of knighting
the loin of beef. The story ought to be true, for is there not in the "Illustrated London News"