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6 THE MASTER OF GAME

vp for to go to his quest shat in Englissh is called
serchyng wele and besyly so as I shal say more
opynly whan I shal speke how men shuld quest
and serche to harborowe the hert. And in such a
doyng he shal not be ydel for he is euermore busy
and whan he shal be commen a3ein to pese semble
or metyngis pan hath he most to doon for to
ordayn his fynders and relaies and for to mene pe
hert and vncouple his houndes. With pat he ne
may not be idel ne hym nedeth penk no where
but for to do his office and whan he hath vn-
coupled 3it is he lasse ydel and lasse shuld thynk
in eny synnes for he hab ynowe to doon to ryde
or foot wel wip his houndes and to be ay ny hem
and to hue or rout wel and blow wel and to loke
wheraftir he hunteth, and wip houndes bene
vanchasours and parfiters* and redresse and brynge
his houndys in to be ryght whan pei han evoised?
and fallen Rascaile* and whan the hert is ded or
what oper chace that he hunteth, for 3it is he lasse
ydel and lasse shuld penk to don euel for he hath
ynowe to doon to benke to wel vndo his hert in
his kynde and wel to reyse pat hym perteyneth*
and wele to doone his cure® and to loke how
many of his houndes lakketh of hem pat he
brought to the woode in pe mornyngis, and for
to seke hem and to couple hem. And whan he
is commen home 3it should be lasse Penk to doon

Evel for he hath ynowe to thynke on his sopere,

and to ease hymself and his hors, and to slepe and

to take his rest, for he is wery, and for to drye

hym of the dewe or perauenture of the Reyne.

And therfore I say pat alle pe tyme of the huntere

is wipout Idelnesse, and wipout euel pboughtes,

and wipout euel werkis of synne. For I haue said

ydelnesse is foundement of alle vices and of synnes.

And pe huntere may not be Idell 3if he wil doone

his office aryght, And also he may haue noon

oper poughtes, for he hath ynowe to do to

ymagyne, and to penk on his office, be which is

not lytel charge, who so wil doon it wel and

besily specially pei pat louen houndes and her

office. Wherfore I say sith an huntere ys not

ydel he may haue non evel poughtes, ne he may

doo noon evil werkis, wherfore he must go to

paradyse,° for by many othir resons pe which were

to longe may I preve pise pinges, but it sufficeth

me for euery mann pat hath good resounn, knoweth
wel pat I say pe hie trouth. Now shall I preve

how hunters lyuen in pis world most ioyfully of

ee ee oe well and busily, for as
J xplicitly hereafter, when I shall
speak of how men shall quest and search to har-
bour the hart. And in so doing he shall not be
idle, for CS is always busy. And when he shall
come again to the assembly or meet, then he hath
most to do for he must order his finders and relays
for to move the hart, and uncouple his hounds.
With all this he cannot be idle, for he need
think of nothing but to do his office, and when he
hath uncoupled, yet is he less idle, and he should
think less of any sins, for he hath enough to do to
ride or to foot it well with his hounds and to be
always near them and to hue or rout well, and
blow well, and to look whereafter he hunteth,
and which hounds are vanchasers and parfiters,!
and redress and bring his hounds on the right
line again when they are at fault” or hunting
rascal.* And when the hart is dead or what other
chace he was hunting, then is he less idle, for he
hath enough to do to think how to undo the hart
in his manner and to raise that which appertainetht
to him, and well to do his curée.° And he should
look how many of his hounds are missing of those
that he brought to the wood in the morning, and
he should search for them and couple them
up. And when he has come home, should he
less think to do evil, for he hath enough to do
to think of his supper, and to ease himself and his
horse, and to sleep, and to take his rest, for he is
weary, and to dry himself of the dew or peradven-
ture of the rain. And therefore I say that all the
time of the hunter is without idleness and without
evil thoughts, and without evil works of sin, for
as I have said idleness is the foundation of all
vices and sins. And the hunter may not be idle
if he would fill his office aright, and also he can
have no other thoughts, for he has enough to do
to think and imagine of his office, the which is no
little charge, for whoso will do it well and busily,
especially if they love hounds and their office.

Wherefore I say that such an hunter is not idle,
he can have no evil thoughts, nor can he do evil
works, wherefore he must go into paradise.° . For
by many other reasons which are too long to write
can I prove these things, but it sufficeth that every
man that hath good sense knoweth well that I
speak the real truth.

Now shall I prove how hunters live in this world
more joyfully than any other men. For when the

1 The hounds that came in the first relay (van) and those in the subsequent relays. See Appendix: Relays.

Diverted or off the line. Shirley MS. has “ enoayssed.”
3 Chasing small or lean deer. See Appendix: Hart.

See Appendix : Venery.

4 To take those parts of the deer which fell to him by custom. See Appendix: Hunt Officials.
5 Curée: The ceremony of giving the hounds their reward on the skin of the animal they have chased. See

Appendix : Curée.
6 G. de F., “tout droit en paradis,” page 5.

THE PROLOGUE 7

eny oper men. For whan pe huntere ryseth in pe
mornyng he sawe a swete and fayre morow, and
e clere wedir and bryght and herep pe songe of
the small fowles, pe which syngen swetely with
grete melodye and ful of loue? everich in his
langage in the best wyse pat he may, after pat he
bereth of his owyn kynde. And whan pe Sonne
is arise he shall see pe fressh dewe vppon pe smale
twygges and grasse, And pe Sunne which by his
vertu shal make hem sheyne and pat is grete
lykeng and joye to the hunters hert, After whan
he shal be on his quest or Serching and he shal se
on with the hert wipout grete

oper mete a no 5
sekyng, and he shal harboure? hym wel and

redily wip inne a litil compas. It is a gret joie
and lyleng (sic) to the huntere. Aftir whan he
shall come to pe semble or gaderyng and he shal
report byfore pe lord and his company eipere ak
he hap seye with his eynen or by be scantilonn® of
the trace* pe which him owe algate of ryght for
to take eiper by pe fumes® pat he shal haue in his
horn or in his lappe, and euery man shal say, lo
here a gret hert and is a dere of hye metyng or
pasturyng, go we mewe hym, pe which pingges I
shal declare here after. Whan it is to say than
hap pe hunter gret joye aftire whan he bygynnep
to sewe® and he hap sued but a lytel and he shal
here or see stert pe hert byfore hym and shal wel
knowe pat it is ryght and his houndes pat shul pis
day be fynders shal come to pe leipe’ or to the
fewes® and shal pere be vncoupled without pat eny
go coupled, and alle pei shal wel runne and
enchace, Than hap pe huntere gret joye and grete
likyng. After he leppeth on an hors bak, 3if he
be of that astate and ellis on foote, with a grete hast
for to folow his houndes, And by cause pat by
auenture his houndes shal be goon fer from
pennes where he vncoupled he sechep some
auauntage for to come byfore his houndes, and
pan he shal se pe hert passe by fore hym and shal
halowe and Rout myghtly and he shal se whiche
houndes commep in pe vannchace® and in pe
middel and which bene parfitours after that pei
shuld come and than whan his houndes byn passid
bifore hym pan he shal ryde after hem and he
shal route and blowe as lowde as he may wip gret
joye and grete likynge and I assure yow pat he ne
penketh to noon oper synne ne to noone othere
euel. Aftire whan the herte shal be ouyrcome
and shal be at abay he shal haue lykynge. And
aftir whan pe herte is spaied’® and dede he yndop

1 See Appendix: Love of Nature.

hunter riseth in the morning, and he sees a sweet
and fair morn and clear weather and bright, and
he heareth the song of the small birds, the which
great melody and full of love,'
the best wise that he
of his own kind.

sing so sweetly with
each in his own language In
can according that he learneth
And when the sun is arisen, he shall see fresh dew
upon the small twigs and grasses, and the sun by
his virtue shall make them shine. And that 1s
great joy and liking to the hunter’s heart. After
when he shall go to his quest or searching, he shall
see or meet anon with the hart without great seek-
ing, and shall harbour? him well and readily within
a little compass. It is great joy and liking to the
hunter. And after when he shall come to the
assembly or gathering, and he shall report before
the Lord and his company that which he hath
seen with his eyes, or by scantilon 8 (measure) of
the trace ‘ (slot) which he ought always of right to
take, or by the fumes’ (droppings) that he shall
have in his horn or in his lap. And every man
shall say: Lo, here is a great hart and is a deer
of high meating or pasturing, go we and move
him; the which things I shall declare hereafter,
then can one say that the hunter has great joy.
When he beginneth to hunt® and he hath hunted
but a little and he shall hear or see the hart
start before him and shall well know that it is
the right one, and his hounds that shall this
day be finders, shall come to the lair,’ or to the
fues® (track), and shall there be uncoupled with-
out any being coupled, and they shall all well run
and hunt, then hath the hunter great joy and
great pleasure. Afterwards he leapeth on horse-
back, if he be of that estate, and else on foot
with great haste to follow his hounds. And in
case peradventure the hounds shall be gone far
from thence where he uncoupled, he seeketh
some advantage to get in front of his hounds.
And then shall he see the hart pass before him,
and shall holloa and rout mightily, and he shall
see which hound come in the van-chase,® and in
the middle, and which are parfitours, according
to the order in which they shall come. And when
all the hounds have passed before him then shall
he ride after them and shall rout and blow as
loud as he may with great joy and great pleasure,
and I assure you he thinketh of no other sin or of
no other evil. And when the hart be overcome
and shall be at bay he shall have pleasure. And
after, when the hart is spayed” and dead, he undoeth

2 Trace the deer to its lair. See Appendix: Venery, Limer.

8 Scantilon; a measure, Mod. Eng. Scantling, a mason’srule. 4 Slot. See Appendix: Trace, Slot.

5 See Appendix: Excrements.
(alain Conc pL Deas Ramee taMa EOS
® See Appendix: Relays.

6 To hunt or follow up. See Appendix: Venery.
8 Line: track. See Appendix: Fues.

10 Despatched with a sword or knife. See Appendix: Spay.