8 THE MASTER OF GAME

hym and makep his kyrre’ and enquirreth or
rewardeth his houndes, and so he hap gret likyng
and whan he comep home he comep joyfully for
his lord hap 3eue hym to drynk of his good wyne
at Kyrre, and whan he is commen home he shal
doon of his clopes and he shal doon of his shoone
and his hosen and he shal wassh his theyes, and
his legges, and his and perauanture alle his body,
and in pe mene while he shal lat ordeyn wel his
sopere with wortes,” of pe nek of pe hert and of
other good metis and of good wyne or ale. And
whan he hath wel ete and wel dronke he shal be
al glad and wel and wel at his eese, than he shal
goo to take pe eyre in be euenyngis of the nyght
for the gret hete pat he hab had and pan he shal
goo drynk and goo lye in his bed in faire fressh
clothe3 and shal slepe wel and stedfastly al pe
nyght without eny evel thought of eny synne,
wherfore I say pat hunters goon in to paradis,
whan pei dey and lyuen in pis world most joiful of
eny other men 3it I will preue pe how hounters
lyuen lengest of eny opere men. For as Ypocras*
tellep ful repleccions of metes sleeth moo men pat
eny swerde or knyfe. And how pei ete and
drynken lasse ban eny opere men of this world,
ffor in the mornyng at the semble pei ete a litell,
and if pei eten wel at pe soper at the leest pei
han defied here nature for pei ne haue ete but a
litel and her nature shal not be enpeshed* to don
here digestioun, Wherpourgh eny wikked humours
oiper superfluytes may be engendryd, and alway
whan a man is sik, men butt hym to dyette and
yeueth hym to drynk watir ymakyd with sugre or
tysane and of soche pinggis to or thre dayes for
to putt adoune evil humours and his superfluytees
and 3it euermore menn taken hym voide ; but to
an huntere it nedep not to do so for he may haue
no repleccioun be pat, be pat litel mete and be that
travayle pat he hath, and supposed pat may
nought be that he were ful of wicked humours 3it
men wote wel pat pe grettest termyneng of
sikenesse pat may be is swoot, and whan be
hunters done her office or at horsbak or afoote
pei swetenn ofte pan 3if pei han eny evel, it mvst
away in pe swetyng so pat kepe hym cold after pe
hete, and therfore me semep pat I have preuyd it
ynowe, for pe leches ordeyne litel mete to pe sik
men for to hele and swote for termynyng and
hele hem alout, and suche hunters ete lytel and
ofte alwaies pei shuld leve longe and hole. And
men desyren to leve long in pis world in helpe and
in joye, and after deth helthe of mannys sowle

1 Curée. See Appendix: Curée.

3 In the Shirley MS. the copyist has carefully added “ the Doctor’

4 Prevented, Fr. empéche.

him and make is curée! i
é aketh his curée! and enquireth or re-

oe ae es so he shall have great
oe for his lord oe a pre
his good wine at the curée, and I are a 2
home he shall doff his Tee ae ae
his hose, and he shall y _ i ae

ic all wash his thighs and his legs,
ao peradventure all his body. And in the mean-
while he shall order well his supper, with wortes2
and of the meer of the hart and of other good meats,
and good wine or ale. And when he hath well
a and drunk he shall be glad and well, and well
at ts ease. And then shall he take the air in the
evening of the night, for the great heat that he
hath had. And then he shall go and drink and
lie in his bed in fair fresh clothes, and shall sleep
well and steadfastly all the night without any
evil thoughts of any sins, wherefore I say that
hunters go into Paradise when they die, and live
in this world more joyfully than any other men.
Yet I will prove to you how hunters live longer
than any other men, for as Hippocras?® telleth :
“full repletion of meat slayeth more men than
any sword or knife.’ They eat and drink less
than any other men of this world, for in the morn-
ing at the assembly they eat a little, and if they
eat well at supper, they will—at least, in the
morning—have corrected their nature, for then
they have eaten but little, and their nature will
not be prevented to do her digestion, whereby
no wicked humours or superfluities may be engen-
dered. And always, when a man is sick, men diet
him and give him to drink water made of sugar
and tysane and of such things for two or three
days to put down evil humours and his super-
fluities, and also make him void (purge). But
for a hunter one need not do so, for he may have
no repletion on account of the little meat, and
by the travail that he hath. And, supposing that
which can not be, and that he were full of wicked
humours, yet men know well that the best ter-
mination of sickness that can be is to sweat. And
when the hunters do their office on horseback or
on foot they sweat often, then if they have any
evil in them, it must away in the sweating ;
so that he keep from cold after the heat. There-
fore it seemeth to me I have proved enough.
Leeches ordain for a sick man little meat and
sweating for the terminating and healing of all
things. And since hunters eat little and sweat
always, they should live long and in health. Men
desire in this world to live long in health and in
joy, and after death the health of the soul.

2 Roots, Cabbage.
’ after Hippocras.

 

THE PROLOGUE 9

and hunters han alle pise pingges, And perfore be
ye alle hunters and ye shul do as wise men, and
perfore I counsell to alle maner folke of what
staat or of what condicioun pat pei be pat pei
love pe houndes and pe huntyngis and lust of
beestis on or oper or of haukyng for Idilnesse and
for to be ydel and haue no lust neiper in houndes
neiper in haukes is no good token for as seith in
his book Phebus the Erle of Foys pat noble huntere
he segh neuere good man pat he ne had lust in
some of pise, were he neuer so grete and Riche,
for he had nede or were he neuer so grete he shuld
not wete what it wete for he shuld not be vsed ne
custommyd to trauayle and so nedys myst anoper
man don pat he shuld don for men saiden in olde
sawes so moche isa lord worth as he can make his
londis availe.t cud also he saipe in the forsaid
(book) pat he neuere segh man pat loued trauaile
and lust of hundes and of hawkes pat he ne had
mony good custummes in hym for pat cometh to
hym of grett nobilnes and gentilnesse of hert, of
what asstaat that the man be of, or agreet lord or
a lityl or a poor or a ryche.

And hunters have all these things. Therefore be
ye all hunters and ye shall do as wise men. Where-
fore I counsel to all manner of folk of what estate
or condition that they be, that they love hounds
and hunting and the pleasure of hunting beasts of
one kind or another, or hawking. For to be idle
and to have no pleasure in either hounds or hawks
is no good token. For as saith in his book Phcebus
the Earl of Foix that noble hunter, he saw never
a good man that had not pleasure in some of these
things, were he ever so great and rich. For if he
had need to go to war he would not know what
war is, for he would not be accustomed to travail,
and so another man would have to do that which
he should. For men say in old saws: “ The lord is
worth what his lands are worth.’* And also he
saith in the aforesaid book, that he never saw a
man that loved the work and pleasure of hounds
and hawks, that had not many gocd qualities
in him; for that comes to him of great nobleness
and gentleness of heart of whatever estate the
man may be, whether he be a great lord, or a
little one, or a poor man or a rich one.

G. d. F. says: “ Tant vaut seigneur tant vaut sa gent et sa terre,” p. 9.

Sa omens

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