The Ornithology of Shakespeare Part 33

Game-preserving, as we now understand the term, was probably unknown in Shakespeare's days, for sportsmen at that time had not the means of making such large bags, and consequently the necessity for breeding and rearing game artificially did not exist. Nature's liberal supply sufficed to satisfy the moderate demand, and the sportsman always returned home well pleased. We take it, however, that this satisfaction resulted more from an appreciation of sport than from the possession of a heavy bag. What more enjoyable than the pursuit of partridges, "with grey gos-hawk in hand," as Chaucer hath it, or a flight at heron with a falcon?

The skill, too, which was required to kill a bird or rabbit with a single bolt from a cross-bow was far greater than that which is needed to achieve the same result with an ounce of shot from a breech-loader.

Not that guns were unknown in Shakespeare's day, for the old-fashioned "birding-piece" was then in use, as we have already noticed.[118] But, partly in consequence of its inferiority and cost, and partly because its use was so little understood, the majority of folks preferred to carry a weapon with which they were more skilled, and on which they could consequently place more reliance. Gradually, as the fowling-piece became more and more perfect, the long-bow and cross-bow were laid aside, and hawking became almost forgotten.

[Sidenote: THE PHEASANT:]

Notwithstanding that the Pheasant (_Phasia.n.u.s colchicus_) must have been well-known in Shakespeare's day, the poet has only once made mention of this bird. The pa.s.sage occurs in _The Winter's Tale_, Act iv. Sc. 3, and runs thus:--

"_Shepherd._ My business, sir, is to the king.

_Autolycus._ What advocate hast thou to him?

_Shepherd._ I know not, an 't like you.

_Clown (jokingly aside to Shepherd)._ Advocate's the court-word for a _pheasant_: say you have none.

_Shepherd._ None, sir; I have no _pheasant_, c.o.c.k nor hen.

_Autolycus._ How blessed are we that are not simple men!"

[Sidenote: ITS INTRODUCTION INTO BRITAIN.]

The precise date of the introduction of the pheasant into Great Britain is uncertain, but there is evidence to show that it was prior to the invasion of the Normans, and that we are probably indebted for this game-bird to the enterprise of the Romans. The earliest record, we believe, of the occurrence of the pheasant in this country will be found in the tract "De inventione Sanctae Crucis nostrae in Monte Acuto et de ductione ejusdem apud Waltham," edited by Prof. Stubbs from ma.n.u.scripts in the British Museum, and published in 1861.[119] In one of these ma.n.u.scripts, dated about 1177, is the following bill of fare prescribed by Harold for the Canons' Households, in 1059:--

"Erant autem tales pitantiae unicuique canonico: a festo Sancti Michaelis usque ad caput jejunii, aut xii. merulae, aut ii. agauseae, aut ii. perdices, _aut unus phasia.n.u.s_, reliquis temporibus aut ancae, aut gallinae."

Yarrell, in his "History of British Birds," gives an extract from Dugdale's "Monasticon Anglicanum" to the effect that the Abbot of Amesbury obtained a licence from the king to kill pheasants, in the first year of Henry I. (1100).

Leland, in his account of the feast given at the inthronisation of George Nevell, Archbishop of York, in the reign of Edward IV., tells us that, amongst other good things, two hundred "fesauntes" were provided for the guests.

[Sidenote: ANCIENT VALUE OF GAME.]

In the "Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York," under date "the xiiij^th day of Novembre," the following entry occurs:--

"Itm~. The same day to Richard Mylner of Byndfeld for bringing a present of fesauntes c.o.kkes to the Queene to Westminster vs~."

In the "Household Book" of Henry Percy, fifth Earl of Northumberland, which was commenced in 1512, the pheasant is thus referred to:--

"Item, FESAUNTES to be hade for my Lordes own Mees at Princ.i.p.all Feestes and to be at xijd. a pece."

"Item, FESSAUNTIS for my Lordes owne Meas to be hadde at Princ.i.p.alle Feistis ande to be at xijd. a pece."[120]

[Sidenote: GAME-PRESERVING.]

In the year 1536, Henry VIII. issued a proclamation in order to preserve the partridges, pheasants, and herons "from his palace at Westminster to St. Giles-in-the-Fields, and from thence to Islington, Hampstead, Highgate, and Hornsey Park." Any person, of whatever rank, who should presume to kill, or in any wise molest these birds, was to be thrown into prison, and visited by such other punishments as to the King should seem meet.

Some interesting particulars in regard to pheasants are furnished by the "Privy Purse Expenses of King Henry VIII." For example, under date xvj^th Nov. 1532, we have:--

"Itm~ the same daye paied to the fesaunt breder in rewarde ixs~. iiijd.

"Itm~ the xxv daye paied to the preste the fesaunt breder at Elthm in rewarde ij corons ixs~. iiijd.

And in December of the same year:--

"Itm~ the xxijd. daye paied to the french Preste the fesaunt breder for to bye him a gowne and other necesarys xls~."

From these entries it would appear that even at this date some trouble and expense was incurred in rearing pheasants. No allusion, however, is made to their being shot. They must have been taken in a net or snare, or killed with a hawk. The last-named mode is indicated from another source[121]:--

"Item, a Fesant kylled with the Goshawke.

"A notice, two Fesants and two Partridges killed with the hawks."

As a rule, they are only referred to as being "brought in," the bearer receiving a gratuity for his trouble.

"Jan^y. 1536-7. Itm~. geuen to Hunte yeoman of the pultry, bringing to hir gc~e two qwicke (_i.e._ live) phesants vijs~. vjd.

"Ap^l. 1537. Itm~. geuen to Grene the ptrich taker bringing a cowple of Phesaunts to my lady's grace iijs~. ixd.

"Jan. 1537-8. Itm~. geuen to my lady Carow's s'unt bringing a qwicke Phesaunt ijs~.

"Jan. 1543-4. Itm~. geuen to Hawkyn, s'unte of Hertford bringing a phesant and ptriches[122] iijs~. iiijd."

In a survey of the possessions of the Abbey of Glas...o...b..ry made in 1539, mention is made of _a "game" of sixteen pheasants_ in the woods at Meare, a manor near Glas...o...b..ry belonging to the Abbey.

[Sidenote: GAME-LAWS.]

According to Fynes Morrison ("Itinerary," 1617), there was in Ireland "such plenty of _pheasants_ as I have known readie served at one feast."

The value set upon pheasants and partridges at various periods, as shown by the laws fixing penalties for their destruction, seems to have fluctuated considerably.

By a statute pa.s.sed in the eleventh year of the reign of Henry VII. it was forbidden "to take pheasants or partridges with engines in another's ground without license in pain of ten pound, to be divided between the owner of the ground and the prosecutor." By 23 Eliz. c. 10, "None should kill or take pheasants or partridges by night in pain of 20_s._ a pheasant, and 10_s._ a partridge, or one month's imprisonment, and bound with sureties not to offend again in the like kind." By 1 Jac. I. c. 27, "No person should kill or take any pheasant, partridge, (&c.), or take or destroy the eggs of pheasants, partridges, (&c.), in pain of 20_s._, or imprisonment for every fowl or egg, and to find sureties in 20 not to offend in the like kind." Under the same statute, no person was permitted "to buy or sell any pheasant or partridge, upon pain to forfeit 20_s._ for every pheasant, and 10_s._ for every partridge." By 7 Jac. I. c. 11, "every person having hawked at or destroyed any pheasant or partridge between the 1st of July and last of August, forfeited 40_s._ for every time so hawking, and 20_s._ for every pheasant or partridge so destroyed or taken." Lords of manors and their servants might take pheasants or partridges in their own grounds or precincts in the day-time between Michaelmas and Christmas. But every person of a mean condition having killed or taken any pheasant or partridge, forfeited 20_s._ for each one so killed, and had to find surety in 20 not to offend so again.

In some of these old statutes, however, it was expressly stated that although pheasants and partridges could not be killed by any one with impunity, no penalty should attach for killing such birds as crows, kites, and buzzards, as these were well known to be destructive to the game which the statutes were framed to protect.

[Sidenote: THE PARTRIDGE.]

In the second part of _Henry VI._ Act iii. Sc. 2, we find the Partridge (_Perdix cinerea_) appropriately placed by Shakespeare in the nest of the kite:--

"Who finds the partridge in the puttock's nest, But may imagine how the bird was dead, Although the kite soar with unbloodied beak."

_Henry VI._ Part II. Act iii. Sc. 2.

Such was the beautiful metaphor uttered by the Earl of Warwick upon the occasion of the Duke of Gloucester's death. The unfortunate Duke was discovered dead in his bed, with marks of violence upon his features, and grave suspicion fell upon the Duke of Suffolk, who "had him in protection." This circ.u.mstance, coupled with the fact that Suffolk was a sworn enemy of Duke Humphrey, placed a heavy weight in the balance against him.

[Sidenote: PARTRIDGE-HAWKING.]

The provincial name of "puttock," which occurs in the above quotation, is sometimes applied to the kite, sometimes to the common buzzard. In this case, as shown by the context, the kite is the bird referred to. A greater enemy to the partridge than either of these birds is the peregrine, whose skill in taking this game was early turned to advantage by falconers. Partridge-hawking was formerly a favourite pastime, and is still, to a certain extent, with those few who still maintain the practice of falconry. For this sport either the peregrine or the goshawk may be used. Aubrey has recorded a curious event which happened when he was a freshman at Oxford in 1642. He frequently supped with Charles I., who then resided at the University; and on one of these occasions he heard the King say that--"As he was hawking in Scotland, he rode into the quarry, and found the covey of partridges falling upon the hawk." He adds that the King said--"I will swear upon the book that it is true."

Mr. F. H. Salvin has been very successful in taking pheasants with the male goshawk, which he found required no "entering," but flew and killed even old c.o.c.ks, threading his way through the trees in a wonderfully rapid manner.[123]