Coming now to later times we find that hawking made its way from Asia into Europe very long ago. Denmark was a famous place for this sport in the far past and it was common in France and England at least as early as the 10th century. The kings of those countries grew very fond of it. When Edward III. of England went to fight in France he took with him thirty falconers and hunted or hawked every day, and Henry VIII. at one time nearly lost his life when out hawking. In recent times it has died away in great part, but is still practiced in some countries.
Such is the history of hawking. Now a few words may be said about the practice. The birds used belong to two classes, the long-winged, dark-eyed falcons and the short-winged, yellow-eyed hawks. The falcons used are the Gerfalcon, Peregrine, Hobby, Merlin, and some others. The hawks used are the Goshawk and the Sparrowhawk. The falcons take their prey by rising above it in the air and darting down upon it. The hawks fly in a straight line and take it by their great speed.
The taming of these birds is a slow process. It was of old the custom to fasten jesses or soft leather straps round their legs and hoods over their heads. A line fastened to the strap kept them from flying away. They were taught to rest and feed on the gloved hand of the trainer and also to make short flights to a "lure," a piece of wood on which food was placed. They were drawn back by the cord tied to the jesses. In this and other ways the birds were taught, and in time could be trusted to fly free and come back to the huntsman's hand.
[Illustration: Leg and Foot of Falcon Showing the Method of Attaching the Fastening]
When the hawkers went abroad on a hunt, gay was the show and lively the sport. On horseback, carrying the hawks on their wrists, the gallant company rode briskly away, all of them dressed in fine robes and the hawks also richly "dressed." The bird might have around its neck a collar of gold filagree and over its head a hood of the finest silk, with a plume of colored feathers on top. Little tinkling bells, those of finest sound, hung from the leather leg rings, and the glove on which the bird sat was often spangled with gold, and sometimes adorned with jewels.