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No. 190 Summer 2000 Ranks in Society and Hawks In a volume we have been so far unable to identify other than as Nares's Herald, there appeared a list of how the various grades of society were said at one time to be "recognised" by their hawks. No doubt a dedicated ornithologist more skilled than Hamlet, who could just about tell a hawk from a handsaw (a heron), would be able to distinguish between some of these varieties, but did such things matter, or such a fanciful scale of precedence ever exist? |
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eagle, a bawter (vulture), a melown; these belong unto an emperor. A gerfalcon, a tercell or gerfalcon are due to a king. There is a falcon gentle and a tercell gentle; and these be for a prince. There is a falcon of the rock; and that is for a duke. There is a falcon peregrine; and that is for an earl. Also there is a bastard; and that hawk is for a baron. There is a sacre and a sacret; and these ben for a knight. There is a lanare and a laurel; and these belong to a squire. There is a merylon; and that hawk is for a lady. There is an hoby; and that is for a young man. There is a goshawk; and that hawk is for a yeoman. There is a tercell; and that is for a poor man. There is a spave-hawk; she is an hawk for a priest. There is a muskyte; and he is for an holy-water clerk." To this
list the 'Jewel for Gentre' adds, |
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