Page:A History of Domestic Manners and Sentiments in England During the Middle Ages.djvu/88

 68 Hijiory of Domefiic Ma7tners the name of Affer, the great Alfred was fo attached to this amufement, that he condefcended to teach his "falconers, hawkers, and dog-keepers" himfelf. His grandfon, king Ethelftan, as we learn from William of Malmefbury, exafted from the Welfh princes, among other articles of tribute, " as many dogs as he might choofe, which, from their fagacious fcent, could difcover the retreats and hiding-places of wild beafts ; and birds trained to make prey of others in the air." The fame writer tells us of the fainted Edward the Confeifor, that "there was one earthly enjoyment in which he chiefly delighted, which was, hunting with fleet hounds, whofe opening in the woods he ufed with pleafure to encourage ; and again, with the pouncing of birds, whofe nature it is to prey on their kindred fpecies. In thefe exercifes, after hearing divine fervice in the morning, he employed himfelf whole days." It is evident from the eccleflaftical laws, that it was diflficult to refi:rain even the clergy from this diverflon. One of the eccleflaftical canons palled in the reign of king Edgar, enjoins " that no priefl: be a hunter, or fowler, or player at tables, but let him play on his books, as becometh his calling." When the king hunted, it appears that men were employed to beat up the game, while others were placed at different avenues of the foreft to hinder the deer from taking a direftion contrary to the wiflies of the hunter. Several proviflons relating to the employment of men in this way, occur in the Domefday furvey. A contemporary writer of the Life of Dunftan gives the following defcription of the hunting of king Edmund the Elder, at Ceoddri (Chedder). "When they reached the foreft," he fays, " they took various directions along the woody avenues, and the varied noife of the horns, and the barking of the dogs, aroufed many ftao-s. From thefe, the king with his pack of hounds chofe one for his own hunting, and purfued it long, through devious ways with great ao-ility on his horfe, with the hounds following. In the vicinity of Ceoddri were feveral fteep and lofty precipices hanging over deep decli- vities. To one of thefe the ftag came in his flight, and daflied headlong to his deftruction down the immense depth, all the dogs following and perifliing with him." I'he king with ditflculty held in his horfe. The dogs {hiindai), ufed for the chafe among the Anglo-Saxons, were valuable,