The boke of Saint Albans

by Juliana Berners

A medecẏne for the stoone in the fundement

¶ When yowre hawke may not metese then she hathe thatt sekenes calde the stoon. And for this sekenes: ye shaƚƚ take the hert of a swyne and the grece of a swyne. and cutt it with the flesħ of the hert and she shaƚƚ be holpe.

¶ A medecẏne for the drẏ Frounce.

For thys sekenes take the Roote of Pillipody that growth vppon Okys. and seth it a grete while then take it fro the fire and let it stonde and wax lew warme. then wasħ yowre flesħ therin. and feede yowre hawke .iij. tymes. and she shaƚƚ be hoole

¶ A medecẏne for wormẏs called anguellis

Take pressure made of a lombe that was borne in vntyme &̄ maake therof .iij. morcellis and put it in a gut of a coluer and fede her therwith and loke the hawke be voide when ye yeue hir thys medecyne.

¶ Also take Iuce of dragonys and put fuƚƚ the gut of a pegion and then cut it and departe it as the hawke may ouerswolow it. and put it in his body. and knytt his beke for castyng

¶ Also yeue hir the ballockys of a Buc as hote as thay ben cut owte. and make powdre of the pyntyƚƚ and cast it vppō the flesħ of a Cat. and fede her therwith & she shaƚƚ be hooƚƚ.

An hawke Tẏrith. Fedith. Goorgith. Bekith. Rousith. Enduẏth. Mutith. Perchẏth. Ioẏkith. Puttithouer. Proẏnẏth. Plommẏth. She warbullith. and mantellith.

She tyrith vppon Rumppys. She fedith on aƚƚ maner of flesħ. She goorgïth when she fillith hir goorge with meete. She bekyth when she sewith: that is to say she wypith hir beke. She Rousith when she shakith aƚƚ hir federis and hir body to gedre. She Enduyth when hir meete in hir bowellys faƚƚ to digestion. She mutith when she auoydith hir order. She perchith when she stondyth on any maner bowe or perch. She Ioykith when she slepith. She puttithouer when she Euoidith hir meete owte of hir goorge in to hir bowillis. She proynith when she fetchyth oyle with hir beke ou̇ hir tayle and anoyntith hir fetr & hir federis. She plōmyth when she pullith federis of any fowle or of any other thyng and castys hem from her She warbbelyth when she drawith booth her wyngys ouer the myddys of her boeke. and ther they mete both and softely shakyth them. and let hem faƚƚ ayen. And she mantyllith when she stretchith her oon wyng a long after her lege. and afterwarde that other wyng. and moost comynly she doth that affore or she warbelyth hir.

¶ The namẏs of a Spare hauke as Ostrigers and Sparuiters haue determẏned

Ther is a question axyd whether a man shaƚƚ caƚƚ a spare hawke Or a spere hawke Or an aspere hawke. & Ostrigers. and also Sparuiters: sayen she may be callid aƚƚ .iij. Namys. for thees resonys. She may be callid a Spere hawke for of aƚƚ the hawkys that ther be she is moost spere. that is to say moost tendre to kepe. for the leest mysdyetyng and mysentendyng sleth
¶ Also she may be calde an aspare hawke of sharpenesse of hir corage. and of hir lokyng quicly. and also of her fleyng For she is moost asper and sharpe in aƚƚ thyngꝭ that belong vnto hir of any other hawkys
¶ She may be also callid a spare hawke for .ij. Resones. oon is she sparith goshawkys and tercellys both. siche as ben in their soore aage. vnto tyme thay may be Reclaymyd. and made redy to flye. as Goshawkys and tercellys that be not fully mewed: vnto tyme they may be clene ensaymyd and redy to flye. for aƚƚ the whyle thay bene vnabuƚƚ. the spare hawke occupithe thesseson. and sleth the partrich weeƚƚ. that is to say froom saynt Margaritys day vnto it be lammas. and so forth in the yere.
¶ And she wyƚƚ slee weeƚƚ yong fesawntis: yong heth cockys in the begynnyng of the yere. And after Michelmas whan partriches passe her daunger I haue seen them made sum to sle the pie sum to sle the Tele vppon the Reuer: at the Iutte. sume to sle the wodecok and sum for the blacke bride and the thrushe.
¶ The wodecok is comborous to sle: bot if ther be crafte. therfore when ye come to a wode or a quech of bushus. cast yowre sparehawke in to a tre and beete the busħes then and if any wodecok a rise she wiƚƚ be sure therof. ¶ Ye most first make hir to a fowle cast vp owt of the bushes. and yowre hawke most sit on loofte as ye make hir to a partriche. Also as I sayde ye may caƚƚ hir a spare hawke: for an oder cause. for and ther weer a shippe fraght fuƚƚ of hawkis. and no thyng ellis. and ther were a spare hawke among thaym ther shuld no custom be payd because of hir. And so for the most comune name thay be calde spare hawkes for the resones a forsayd.

An hawke flieth to the vew  to the Beke. or to the Toll. Nō Crepe Querre Fer Iuttẏ &ċ

An hawke fleeth to the Ryuer dyuersis ways. and slethe the fowle dyuerli. That is to say she flieth to the vew or to the beke. or to the toƚƚ. & aƚƚ is bot oon. as ye shaƚƚ knawe here after She fleeth also to the quarre: to the crepe. and no mo ways bot thoos .iij. And she Nymmyth the fowle at the fer Iutty or at the Iutty ferre.

Now shall ẏe knaw what theis termes betokẏn & moo folowẏng. as Hut. Iuttẏ ferrẏ. Mounte Raundon. Crepe. Ennewed.

A Goshawke or a terceƚƚ that shaƚƚ flee to the vew. to the toƚƚ or to the beke. in this maner she is taught ye most fynde a fowle in the Reuer or in a pitte preueli. and theen sett youre hauke a grete space of. vppon a mooƚƚ hiƚƚ or on the grownde. and crepe softeli towarde the fowle: from yowre hawke streght way and when ye come almost ther as the fowle lyeth. looke backewarde towarde the hawke. and with yowre hande or with yowre tabur styke: becke yowre hawke to come to you. and when she is on wyng. and comyth low bi the grounde. and is almost at yow. then smyte youre tabur. and cry huff. huff. huff and make the fowle to spryng. and with that noyse the fowle wil rise and the hawke wyƚƚ nym it.
¶ And now take hede. Iff yowre hawke nym the fowle at the fer side of the Ryuer or of the pitt from yow Then she sleeth the fowle at the fer Iutty and if she slee it vppon that side that ye ben on. as it may hape dyuerse times. Then ye shaƚƚ say she hath sleen the fowle at the Iutty ferry.
¶ Iff yowre hawke nym the fowle a lofte: ye shaƚƚ say she toke it at the mounte or at the souce.
¶ And if the fowle spryng not bot flee a long after the Reu̇ and the hawke nym it then. ye shaƚƚ say she slew it at the Raundon̄.

¶ Creepe.

And yowre hawke fleeth at or to the Creepe when ye haue yowre hawke on yowre fyst and crepe softely to the Ryuer or to the pit. and stelith softeli to the brynke therof. and then cry huff. and bi that meane Nym a fowle. Then it is slayn at the Crepe oder at the fer Iutty. or at the Iutty ferry. as a booue is sayde.

¶ And if it happyn as it dooth oftimes the fowle for fere of yowre hawke woƚƚ spryng and faƚƚ ayen in to the Ryuer. or the hawke sees hir. and so lie styƚƚ and dare not arise. ye shaƚƚ say then yowre hawke hath ennewed the fowle in to the Ryuer. ond so shaƚƚ ye say and ther be moo fowles in the Ryuer then thatt yowre hawke nymmyth if thay darenot arise for fere of yowre hawke

¶ A thefe.

Understonde ye that a Goshawke shulde not flie to any fowle of the Ryuer with bellis in no wise. and therfore a Goshawke is calde a theef.

¶ Querre.

And yowre hawke fleeth to the querre. when ther be in a stobuƚƚ tyme Sordes of mallardes in the felde and when she espith theym and commyth couerte her selfe. and flie preuyli vnder hedges or law bi the grownde. and nym oon of hem. or thay rise then ye shaƚƚ say that the fowle was slayn at the querre.