Note 207 — ARRIAN ON COURSING.
William Dansey translation
De Venat. c. vii.
Ælian. de Naturâ Animal. L. viii. c. 2.
Aristotelis Ethic. Nicom. L. iii. c. x.
Ἁλισκομένου δὲ τοῦ λαγῷ, says the elder Xenophon, διδόναι αὐταῖς ἀναῤῥηγνύναι. Every sportsman is fully aware of the importance of blooding young hounds: κύων ἀγρευτικὸς ἅπας αὐτὸς μὲν λαβὼν θηρίον ἥδεται, καὶ κέχρηται τῇ ἄγρᾳ, ὡς ἄθλῳ, ἐὰν αὐτὸν συγχωρήσῃ ὁ δεσπότης: and a greater than Xenophon or Ælian has declared that the curée, or quarry, is to the Spartan hound the object of his chase, οὐδὲ ταῖς ὀσμαῖς τῶν λαγωῶν αἱ κύνες χαίρουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῇ βρώσει—ὅτι βορὰν ἕξουσιν. But Plutarch tells us that they will not touch the game, nor lap the blood of it, unless they kill it themselves; while, in the other case, Plutarchi Utraque animalia, &c.ἥδονται διασπῶντες, καὶ τὸ αἷμα λάπτουσι προθύμως, &c.
Gratii Cyneg. vs. 246.
Ergo ubi plena suo rediit victoria fine In partem prædæ veniat comes, et sua norit Præmia. Sic operi juvet inservîsse benigno. Hoc ingens meritum est: hæc ultima palma trophæi.
Onomast. L. v. c. vi.
Julius Pollux advises that puppies be well blooded, ἵνα προσεθίζωνται τῇ κυνηγετικῇ τροφῇ.
Albi Dianæ Leporicidæ L. iv.
Atque in parva secant spoliatum segmina corpus, Adduntque infectum leporino sanguine panem.
MS. Twety and Giffard.
“Ye shal gif yor. houndys the bowellis boyled wh. breed, and it is callyd reward for cause that it is etyn on the erthe and not on the skyn.”
Mayster of Game. c. xiv. fol. 62.
“Goodnesse of greyhoundes cometh of ryght corage and of the good nature of her fader and modir, and also men may wel helpe to make hem good in the encharmyng of hem with other good greihoundes and feede hem wel in the beest that he taketh.”
Countrey Content. B. i. p. 51.
“In coursing,” says Markham, “you shall observe two things, bloud and labour; bloud, which is a hartening and animating of your dogge to delight in the pleasure, when he findes the reward of his paines taking; for if a dog course continually, and never kill, the sport will growe yrksome to him, and therefore, now and then, give him such advantage that he may kill the hare—then labour, which is contrary to killing; for in it you must give the hare all indifferent advantage, both by lawe and otherwise, whereby she may stand long before the dogge and make him shewe his uttermost strength before he be able to reach her.”