Part 47

Ἀπεπνίγησαν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄσθματος. Such accidents usually happen from running greyhounds when out of wind, and condition. The state of the muscular and respiratory systems are always in fault—

τῷ μὴ πιαλέοι θήρης ἐπὶ μῶλον ἴοιεν μηδέ τε λεπταλέοι.

But the safest plan is to leave the greyhounds in a cool and shady kennel during the intense heat of a midsummer day—if exercised at all, the earlier they have their airing, the better.

+Lyc.+ Ad fluvium duc, Daphni, canes, (vocat æstus in umbram,) Nec catulos virides sine lascivire per herbas. Eja agedum, requiesce Lacon, requiesce Lycarba, Fervidus Hesperias dum sol declinet in undas.

Ἀποκναίονται, (radendo vulnerare ἀποκναίειν,)—a preferable reading to the conjectural one of Schneider, ἀποκαίονται—founded on Xenoph. de Venat. c. +viii.+ 2. a passage scarce applicable to the Celtic hound. No wise Veltrarius would think of coursing his greyhounds during severe frost.

Cum fluidos gelidâ sisti torpedine rivos Videris, extantesque pedi non cedere glebas, Ne campis immitte canes: nam nulla laborum Præmia; et avulsos vanis conatibus ungues Sæpè diù, melior pars turmæ clauda, dolebit.

Against this havock from frost, Natalis Comes suggests a guard in the use of shoes, so formed according to Ruscellius (Schol. in Nat. Com. L. +i.+) as to let the nails pass through the calceamenta coriacea:

Ast ubi jam Boreas invadit frigidus arva, Et glacialis hyems currentia flumina sistit, Arcendæ à plantis concretæ frigore crustæ, Atque armandus erit pes, ne mala frigora lædant, Et tellus concreta gelu, spinæque rigentes.

But should this guard be insufficient, or inapplicable, and the loss of a nail ensue, the poetical physician of Verona supplies a simple restorative:

Quid? taceam nimio cum decidit ungula cursu? Frangere namque juvat pallentis grana cumini Dentibus, admotâque pedem lenire salivâ: Incipientque novi subcrescere protinùs ungues.”

The Cynosophium of Demetrius gives its earlier sanction to the efficacy of this remedy; and yet it is probable that any of the gum-resins dissolved in spirit of wine will be found more curative.

Δασεῖς ἔχει τοὺς πόδας καὶ μαλθακούς. So Oppian,

οὐδ’ αὐτοῖς δειλοῖς λασιοκνημοῖσι λαγωοῖς.

Lepus δασύπους vocatur, quòd hirsutos habeat pedes.

In the first and second editions of the Cynegeticus, a chapter is here introduced On the Manner and Time of Coursing among the Celts; but which is more correctly placed by Schneider after the nineteenth chapter. Following his example, I have omitted it here, and shall introduce it into that part of the treatise to which it naturally belongs.

Ὅστις κύνας ἀγαθὰς ἔχει—whoever has good hounds: greyhounds; elsewhere called κύνας ὠκείας.

The laws of the leash in England, subscribed by Thomas Duke of Norfolk, in the reign of Elizabeth, speak to these points:

“That not above one brace of greyhounds do course a hare at one instant.

“That the fewterer shall give the hare twelve score law, ere he loose the greyhounds, except it be in danger of losing sight.”

Turberville, however, gives a little more licence as to number of dogs: “If the greyhounds be but yong or slowe, you may course with a lease at one hare, but that is seldome seene, and a brase of dogges is ynow for such a poore beast.” No fair courser would slip more than a brace of tried and swift dogs (δύω κύνε, εἰδότε θήρης) after a hare.

As to the distance at which the hounds are to be slipped to the hare, which in the ancient English Cynegetica is called law, “it should be,” says Turberville, “+xii+ score yardes or more, according to the ground and country where she sitteth.” So Ben Jonson, in the Sad Shepherd,

But you must give her law: and you shall see her Make twenty leaps and doubles, &c.

Δρομικὸς—a racer. Ὁ δυνάμενος τὰ σκέλη ῥιπτεῖν πως, καὶ κινεῖν ταχὺ, καὶ πόῤῥω, δρομικός: a definition equally applicable to man and beast. See the final note to this chapter.

Διαῤῥίψαντες τὰ μέλη—having tossed about their limbs; capered about. Arrian means to express the anxiety and joy of the greyhound when the hare is just on the start. With the same signification Xenophon uses διαῤῥίμμα, the τὸ πηδήμα τοῦ σώματος &c. of Pollux. Σκιρτᾷ γοῦν, says Ælian of the hare’s start, τὰ πρῶτα ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ πηδᾷ: and Pollux calls her ἁλτικὸν καὶ πηδητικὸν τὸ ζῶον.

The rush of the greyhound from slips is splendidly described in the Ovidia Lælaps:

jamdudum vincula pugnat Exuere ipse sibi, colloque morantia tendit. Vix bene missus erat; nec jam poteramus, ubi esset, Scire; pedum calidus vestigia pulvis habebat: Ipse oculis ereptus erat. Non ocyor illo Hasta, nec excussæ contorto verbere glandes, Nec Gortyniaco calamus levis exit ab arcu.

Many of the coursing terms employed in the present, the 19th, and 20th chapters, on the Celtic mode of following the sport, are illustrated by Michael Drayton’s prosaic muse:

In the proper terms the Muse doth thus report— The man whose vacant mind prepares him to the sport, The finder sendeth out, to seek out nimble Wat, Which crosseth in the field, each furlong, every flat, Till he this pretty beast upon the form hath found; Then viewing for the course, which is the fairest ground, The greyhounds forth are brought, for coursing then in case, And choicely in the slip, one leading forth a brace; The finder puts her up, and gives her courser’s law. And whilst the eager dogs upon the start do draw, She riseth from her seat, as though on earth she flew, Forced by some yelping cute to give the greyhounds view, Which are at length let slip, when gunning out they go, As in respect of them the swiftest wind were slow; When each man runs his horse, with fixed eyes, and notes Which dog first turns the hare, which first the other coats: They wrench her once or twice, ere she a turn will take, What’s offer’d by the first, the other good doth make; And turn for turn again with equal speed they ply, Bestirring their swift feet with strange agility: A harden’d ridge or way, when if the hare do win, Then as shot from a bow she from the dogs doth spin, That strive to put her off, but when he cannot reach her, This giving him a coat, about again doth fetch her To him that comes behind, which seems the hare to bear; But with a nimble turn she casts them both arrear: Till oft for want of breath to fall to ground they make her, The greyhounds both so spent that they want breath to take her.