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Old English Sports by P. H. (Peter Hampson) Ditchfield
page 68 of 120 (56%)
but this proud distinction had its responsibilities, and this high
official was only allowed to take three draughts from his horn, lest
his brain should not be as clear as it ought to be, and the precious
birds might be neglected.

Sometimes the hawking party went on foot, carrying long poles to
enable them to jump the ditches and to follow the course. Henry
VIII. nearly lost his life on one occasion through falling (his pole
having broken) into a bog, from which he was rescued by one John
Moody, who happened to see the accident. But mounted on gallant
steeds the lords and ladies were accustomed to follow their
favourite pastime, and amid the blowing of horns and laughter and
shoutings they rode along, galloping up-hill and down-hill, with
their eyes fixed upon the birds, which were battling or chasing each
other high overhead. The hawk did not always win the fight:
sometimes a crafty heron would turn his long bill upwards just as
the hawk was descending upon him, and pierce his antagonist through
the body.

Great skill and perseverance were required in training these birds.
When they were not flying after their prey, they were hoodwinked,
_i.e._ their heads were covered with caps, which were often finely
embroidered. On their legs they had strings of leather, called
_jesses_, with rings attached. When a hawk was being trained, a long
thread was fastened to these rings to draw the bird back again, but
when it was well educated, it would obey the voice of the falconer
and return when it had performed its flight. It was necessary for
the bird to know its master very intimately, so a devoted follower
of the sport would always carry his hawk about with him, and the two
were as inseparable as a Highland shepherd and his dog. The
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