4. THE MASTER OF GAME

Jmages passed” for writyng is pe keye of alle good
remembraunce. And ffrist I wylle begynne to dis-
cryue pe nature of the hare, Secoundly of the nature
of the hert, the iii of the buk and of his nature, pe
uliof the Roo and his nature, they. of the wilde boor
and of his nature. The vi. of the wolf and of his
nature. The vii of the fox and of his nature. The
vili of the grey and of his nature. The ix. pe Cat
and of his nature. The x. of the Martryn and of his
nature. Thexi.of the otere and of his nature. Now
haue I rehersed how I wy] in this litel book discryve
pe nature of these forsaid beestis of venery ® and of
chase, and perfore nowe wil I nempne pe houndes
pe which I wil discryue here aftir bothe of nature
and condicions. And first I wil begynne at
Racches and here nature. And aftir at grey-
houndes And hure nature, And aftir at Alauntis
and at here nature, And aftire and aftire (sic) at
spaynels and hure nature, And aftir at Mastifs*
that men callen curres and at hure nature And
aftir at small curres that fallen to be terryers and
at hure nature, And aftir I shal devise and telle
pe siknesse of houndes and pe corrupcioun.
And fferthermore aftir wil I deuise what con-
dicions and maners a good huntere shuld have
and of what poort he should be and aftir I wil
deuyse of the maner and shap of the kenet ° and
how it shuld be environd and araied and ouermore
I wyl deuyse of what fassion an hunters horne
shuld be dryve, And aftir how pe couples shuld
be mad for pe Racches and of what length and
fferthermore preue I wyl by sondrye resouns in
this litel prologe pat per nys no mannys lif that
vseth gentil game and disport lasse displeable vnto
God than is the lyff of a perfit and skylful
huntere nor pat more good cometh of. The first
resoun is for the game causeth ofte a man to
eschewe pe vij deedly synnes. Secoundly men byn
bettir rydyng, and more just and more vndyrston-
dyng, and more appert, and more esye and more
vndirtakyng, and bettir knowyng of all contrees
and of alle passages and short and long alle good
gustumes and maners commethe therof and helthe
of manand of his sowle for ho that fleeth pe vij
dedly synnes as we bileve, he shal be saued, than
a good huntere shal be saued, and in this world
haue joye ynow, and of gladnesse and of solace so
that he kepe hym of too thingis, oon is that he

have men mind of things passed,! for writing is the
key of all good remembrance.

And ee I will begin by describing the nature of
the hare,” secondly of the nature of the hart, thirdly
of oe buck and of his nature, fourthly of the roe and
of his nature, fifthly of the wild boar and of his nature,
sixthly of the wolf and of his nature, seventhly
of the fox and of his nature, eighthly of the
badger and of his nature, ninthly of the cat and
of his nature, tenthly of the marten and his nature,
leventhly of the otter and of his nature. Now have
I rehearsed how I will in this little book describe
the nature of these aforesaid beasts of venery® and
of chace, and therefore will I name the hounds
the which I will describe hereafter, both of their
nature and conditions. And first I will begin with
raches (running hounds) and their nature, and then
greyhounds and their nature, and then alaunts
and their nature, and then spaniels and their nature,
and then mastiffs* that men call curs and their nature,
and then of small curs that come to be terriers and
their nature, and then I shall devise and tell the
sicknesses of hounds and their diseases. And
furthermore I will describe what qualities and
manners a good hunter should have, and of what
parts he should be, and after that I will describe
the manner and shape of the kennel, and how it
should be environed and arranged. Also I will
describe of what fashion a hunter’s horn should be
driven, and how the couplings should be made for
the raches and of what length. Furthermore I will
prove by sundry reasons in this little prologue, that
there is no man’s life that useth gentle game and
disport less displeasable unto God than the life of
a perfect and skilful hunter, or from which more
good cometh. The first reason is that hunting

causeth a man to eschew the seven deadly sins.
Secondly men are better when riding, more just
and more understanding, and more alert and more
at ease and more undertaking, and better knowing
of all countries and all passages ; in short and long
all good customs and manners cometh thereof, and
the health of man and of his soul. For whoso
fleeth the seven deadly sins as we believe, he shall
be saved, therefore a good hunter shall be saved,
and in this world have joy enough and of gladness
and of solace, so that he keep himself from two
things. One is that he leave not the knowledge

1 Shirley MS.: ‘“ By writing have men mynde of things passed.”

2 Gaston de Foix has a different sequence, putting the hart first and the hare sixth, and having four animals more,
namely, the reindeer, the chamois (including ibex), the bear and the rabbit, while the ‘‘ Master of Game” has
one animal, the Marten, of which Gaston de Foix does not speak (G. de F., p. 2).

8 See Appendix : Venery.

4G, d. F. follows a different sequence, commencing with alaunts, then greyhounds, raches, spaniels, and says
“ fifthly I willl speak of all kinds of mongrel dogs, such as come from mastiffs and alaunts, from greyhounds and
running hounds, and other such.’ “ Quintement de toutes natures de chiens meslés comme sont de mastins et d’alans,
de levriers et de chiens courans et d’autres semblables’(p. 2). See Appendix: Mastiffs.

5 The final “t” is a mistake of the transcriber: it should read “‘kenel.” See Appendix : Kennel.

 

 

 

THE PROLOGUE 5

ne lese pe knowlech ne pe seruise of God from
whom al good cummeth for his huntyng. The
secund that he ne lese pe seruise of his maystir
ne his owne duedys pe which myght hym moost
avayle. Now shal I preue pe how an huntere ne
may by non resoun falle in ony of the vil deedly
synnes for whan a man is ydul and recheless
without out travayle and men ben occupyed to be
doyng somme pinges and abideth ther in here

oiper in here Chambre it isa thyng which draweth
lust an plaisire,

men to ymaginacioun of fleishly

for suche men han no lust, bu
lace, and thenketh in pryde or in auarice

t alway for to abyde

in oon p
eiper in wret
in lechery or in
man rather falleth to euel than to good for pe
pre enemyes the which mankynd hath, pat is pe
deuel, the world, and the fflayssh, pan is pis
preuyd ynowe. Natheless there ben many
othure resouns pe which were to longe for to
telle, And also euery man pat hathe good resoun
knoweth wel pat ydilnesse 14s foundement of alle
wikked Imagynaciouns. Now shal y preue pe
how Imagynacioun is lord and mayster of alle
werkis good and euy] pat mannys body or his
lymmes don. ‘Thou wost wel pat good werkes or

he, oiper in slawthe or or in gloteny or
envie; for pe Imagynaciouns of

evyl lasse or more neuere were y do that raither pei
were Imagined or ythow3t, pan is ymaginacioun
maistresse of alle werkes, for after that Imaginacioun
biddeth men doon good werkes or euell, which that
evire it be, as by forun is sayd. And 3if a man
notwithstondyng that he were wise shuld ymagine
alway that he were a fool, eyther pat he had othur
siknesse, he shuld so be, for sith he shuld wene
stedfastly pat he were a fool, he shuld doon a
foolis dedis as his Imaginaciouns shuld comaund
and he byleuyth it stedfastly. Wherfore me
penketh pat I haue preuyd ynowe of Imaginacioun,
nat withstondyng pat per bene mony opere resons
pe which I leve for long wryteng. And perfore
every man that hap good reson knoweth wel pat
it is trouth. Nowe shal I preue how pe good
huntere ne may not be ydell ne in dremyng ne
may not have evel Imaginacions ne after noon
euel werkis. For the next day bifore that he shal
go to his office the nyght bifore he shal lay hym
adoune in his bedde and shal not penk but for
slepe and to do his office wele and besily as a good
huntere shal do and shall not haue a do ne thenk
but on pe nedys that he is ordeyned for to and
henys not ydel for he hath ynow ado to ymagyne
to aryse erly and wel to don his office wipout
penkyngis on opere Synnes or other evil dedis.
And erly in the dawnyng of the day he myst be

ce of God, from whom all good cometh,
The second that he lose not the
service of his master for his hunting, nor his own
duties which might profit him most. Now shall I
may not fall into any of the
When a man is idle and reck-
not occupied in doing

nor the servi
for his hunting.

prove how a hunter
seven deadly sins.

less without work, and be
he abides in his bed or in his chamber,

some thing,
imaginations of

a thing which draweth men to
fleshly lust and pleasure. For such men have no
wish but always to abide in one place, and think
in pride, or in avarice, or in wrath, or in sloth, or in
gluttony, or in lechery, or in envy. For the ima-
gination of men rather turns to evil than to good,
for the three enemies which mankind hath, are the
devil, the world and the flesh, and this is proved
enough.

Nevertheless there be many other reasons which
are too long to tell, and also every man that hath
good reason knoweth well that idleness’ is the foun-
dation of all evil imaginations. Now shall I prove
how imagination is lord and master of all works,
good or evil, that man’s body or his limbs do. You
know well, good or evil works small or great never
were done but that beforehand they were imagined
or thought of. Now imagination is the mistress of
all deeds, for imagination biddeth a man do good
or evil works, whichever it be, as before is said.
And if a man notwithstanding that he were wise
should imagine always that he were a fool, or that
he hath other sickness, it would be so, for since he
should think steadfastly that he were a fool, he
would do foolish deeds as his imagination would
command, and he would believe it steadfastly.
Wherefore methinks I have proved enough of ima-
gination, notwithstanding that there beeth many
other reasons the which I leave to avoid long
writing. Every man that hath good sense knoweth
well that this is the truth.

Now I will prove how a good hunter may not
be idle, and in dreaming may not have any evil
imaginations nor afterwards any evil works. For
the day before he goes out to his office, the night
before he shall lay him down in his bed, and shall
not think but for to sleep, and do his office well
and busily, as a good hunter should. And he shall
have nothing to do, but think about all that which
he has been ordered to do. And he is not idle,
for he has enough to do to think about rising early
and to do his office without thinking of sins or of
evil deeds. And early in the dawning of the day
he must be up for to go unto his quest, that in

1 See Appendix : Idleness.

a assem
ne nana areas