“FOR CHILDREN. 273

The kennelled hounds’ long bark is heard,

The falconer talking to his bird,

The neighing steeds, the angry word
Of grooms impatient there.

But soon the bustle is dismissed,

The falconer sets on every wrist

A hooded hawk,' that’s stroked and kissed
By knight and lady fair.

And sitting in their saddles free,

The brave, the fair of high degree,

Forth rides that gallant company,
Each with a bird on hand;

And falconers with their hawking gear,”

And other birds, bring up the rear,

And country-folk from far and near
Fallin and join the band.

And merrily thus in shine and shade,
Gay glancing through the forest glade,
On rides the noble cavalcade,
To moorlands wild and grey ;
And then the noble sport is high ;
The jess? is loosed, the hood thrown by ;
And “ leurre /” the jolly falconers cry,
And wheeling round, the falcons fly
lmpatient of their prey.

1 Hooded hawk—the falcon’s head was kept covered until
the moment that he was let loose after his destined prey.

* Hawking gear—the apparatus used in hawking,

> Jess—one of the short straps round the leg of a hawk,
bv which it was held on the wrist.