18 THE MASTER OF GAME

yere a stageard pe v. yere a stag pe vi yere an hert
of x." and pan at arstis he schaceable for alway bifore
he shal be called but rascayle or foly. Than is it
faire to hunt to pe hert, for it is a fayre ping for
to serche hure wel an hert, and a faire ping wel to
herborowe hym, and a faire Ping to mwe hym,
and a faire ping to hunt hym, and a faire thyng to
retreue’ hym. And a faire ping to be at pe
abbaies whedir it be on watir or on londe, and a
faire ping is pe kyrre and a faire ping is to vndo
hym wel and for to reyse pe ryghtes and wel faire
ping and good is pe deuison and it be a good
deere. In so moche pat considered alle pingges I
[hold] pat it is be fairest huntynge pat eny man
may hunte after. Thei croteye here fumes® in
diuers maners, aftere pe tyme and pe sesoun, and
aftir pe pasture pat pei fynde, now in blak or drie
eiper in plat fourmes eyper engleymed ‘ or pressed
and mony obere dyuers maners pe which I shal
more pleynly devyse whan I shal declare how pe
hunter shal jugge, for some tyme pei mysiugen by
pe fumes, and so doon pei by pe foot. And
whan pei croteith here fumes in flat and not pik
it is in Aueril or in maij into myddel of Juin
wher pei han fedde of Tender corn, for 3it her
fumes bene foormed and also pei han not
rekeuered here grece. But 3it haue men seen
soomtyme a grete dere and an old hie of grece,”
pe whiche about myd hye sesoun croteiep her
fumes blak and drie, and therfore and for many
opere pinges many men may be bygiled of deere,
for some goop bettir and bettir rennyng and bettir
can flee than some as opir bestis doon, and some bene
more cunnyng and more wily ban opere, as it is of
men, for som ben wysere pan other. And commep
to hem os (sic) the good kynde of hure good
fadere and of hure moder, and of good getyng,
and of good norture, and to be born in good
constellacions, and in good sygnes of heuen, and
pat in man and in alle oper bestes. Men taken
hem wip houndis wip greihoundis with nettis and
wip cordes and with oper harnays° wip puttes, and
wip shott,’ and with opere gynnes, and with
strengthe as y shal say here after but in Engelonde
pei ben not slayn but wip houndes, or with shotte or
with strengh of rennyng houndes. An olde deer is
wonderewise and felle for to saue his liff, and to
kepe his auntege for whan he is hunted and he is
vncoupled to, as pe lymer menep hym or opere
houndes fynden hym wipout limere, and 3if he
haue a deere that be his felawe he louep hym to
pe houndes, in entent pat he may waraunt hym

1 In modern sporting terms a warrantable deer.
3 Cast their droppings.

5 G. de F,, p. 17, “old and fat.” See Appendix: Grease.
6 Harness, appurtenances. See Appendix: Harness.

the fourth year a staggard, the fifth a stag; the
sixth year a hart of ten’ and then first is he chase-
able, for always before shall he be called rascal
or folly. Then it is a fair thing to hunt the hart,
for it is a fair thing well to seek a hart, and a fair
thing well to harbour him, and a fair thing to
move him, and a fair thing to hunt him, and a
fair thing to retrieve” him, and a fair thing to be
at the bay, whether it be on water or on land. A
fair thing is the curée, and a fair thing to undo
him well, and for to raise the rights. And a well
fair thing and good is the venison if it be a good
deer. In so much that considering all things I
hold that it is the fairest hunting, that any man
may hunt after. They crotey the fumes® in divers
manners according to the time and season and
according to the pasture that they find, now black
or dry either in flat forms or engleymed* or pressed,
and in many other divers manners the which I
shall more plainly devise when I shall declare
how the hunter shall judge, for sometimes they
misjudge by the fumes and so they do by the foot.
When they crotey their fumes flat and not thick,
it is in April or in May, into the middle of June,
when they have fed on tender corn, for yet their
fumes be not formed, and also they have not
recovered their grease. But yet have men seen
sometimes a great deer and an old and high in
grease,’ which about mid-season crotey their fumes
black and dry. And therefore by this and many
other things many men may be beguiled by deer, for
some goeth better and run better and fly better
than some, as other beasts do, and some are more
cunning and more wily than others, as it is with
men, for some are wiser than others. And it
cometh to them of the good kind of their father
and mother, and of good breeding and of good
nurture and from being born in good constella-
tions, and in good signs of heaven, and this
is the case with men and all other beasts. Men
take them with hounds, with greyhounds and with
nets and with cords, and with other harness, and
with pits and with shot’ and with other gins (traps)
and with strength, as I shall say hereafter. But
in England they are not slain except with hounds
or with shot or with strength of running hounds.

An old deer is wonder wise and felle (cunning)
for to save his life, and to keep his advantage,
for when he is hunted and is uncoupled to, when a
lymer moveth him or other hounds find him without
lymers, and if he have a deer with him he leaveth
him to the hounds, so that he may warrant (save)

S ratreke.’”
2 Shirley MS. has “ retreke.
4 Engleimen, clammy, glutinous.

7 Means from a cross-bow or long-bow.

 

OF THE HART AND HIS NATURE 19

self, and lat pe houndes onchace after pat opere
deer. And he wil abyde stille, and 3if he alone
and pe houndes fynde hym he shal go about his
haunt wililiche and wiseliche and seche pe chaunge
of opere deer, for to make the houndes envoise,’
and for to loke wher he may abide. And 3if he
may not abide he takep pan his leeue of his
haunte and bygynnep to fle per he woot eny
chaunge and pan whan he is pidere come pan he
hardiethe among hem and some tyme he goop a
way with hem and pan he makep a ruse in some
side, and per he stallep,” or quattep, vnto pe
houndes byn forp after pat oper pe wiche ben
fresshe and pus he chaungeth for to pat he may
abide. And 3if pere be eny wise houndes pe
whiche can boldely onchace hym for that chaunge,
and he seep pat al may not availle pan he bygynnep
to shew his wiles and rusep to and fro, and alle
pat he doth, for pe houndes shuld not fynde his
fues® in entente pat he may be fer from hom and
pat he may saue hymself. Somtyme he fleep forp
with pe wynde, and pat is for 111 causes for whane
he fleep agayn pe wynde it rennepJin to his mouthe
and driep hym and dop hym grete harme, and
perfore he fleep oft forp wip pe wynde for pat he
may here alway pe houndes come aftir hym, and
also for pat pe houndes shuld not sent ne fynde
of hym, for his tayle is in pe wynde and not his
nose,’ and also pat whane pe houndes be nye hym
pat he may wynde hem and hie hym wel fro hem.
Napelees hir keynde is for pe moost perfite® to flee
euyr on pe wynde to he be nye ouercome or at pe last
side pe wynde so pat it be ayin his nose stirk. And
whan he shal here hym pat pei be ferre from hym,
pann he ne hiethe hym not to fast. And whan
he is wery and hoote pan he goop to yeeld hym
and soillep hym to some grete Ryvere. And
some tyme he shal falle* doune in pe water half a
myle or more or he come to londe in eny syde.
And pat he dop for ii resons pat on is for to make
hym self cold and for to refreysshe hym self of pe
grete hete pat he had, pat oper is for pat pe houndes
and pe hunters may not come after hym, ne see
his fues in pe watir with pe houndes as pei do on
londe. And 3if in pe cuntre is no grete Ryuere
he gop pan to pe litel, and shal bete vp pe water
or foile doun pe water as hym likep best, pe
mountance of a myle or more or he comea londe ;
and he shal kepe hym pat he shal touche noon of
pe brynkes ne non braunches but alway in pe

1
Go off the scent. ? Stands still.

* This should read as G. d. F. has it (p.
assentir de luy, quar ilz auront
not be able to wind him, as they will have their t

® Shirley MS. has “‘ ptye””—i.e., part, wl

himself, and let the hounds enchase after other
deer. And he will remain still. And if he be
alone and the hounds find him, he shall go about
his haunt wilily and wisely and seek the change
of other deer for to make the hounds envoise! and
to look where he may abide. And if he can not
abide he leaves his haunt and begins to fly there
where he knows other change and then when he
has come thither he herdeth amongst them and
sometimes he goeth away with them. Then he
maketh a ruse on some side, and there he stalleth?
or squatteth until the hounds have gone after
the other deer that are fresh, and thus he changeth
so that he may abide. And if there be any wise
hounds, the which can boldly enchase him from the
change, and he sees that nought will avail, then
he beginneth to show his wiles and ruseth to and
fro. And all this he doth so that the hounds
should not find his fues* in intent that he may be
freed from them and that he may save himself.
Sometimes he fleeth forth with the wind and
that for three causes, for when he fleeth against
the wind it runneth into his mouth and dryeth
him and doth him great harm. Therefore he
fleeth oft forth with the wind so that he may
always hear the hounds coming after him. And
also that the hounds should not scent nor find
him, for his tail is in the wind and not his nose.‘
Also, when the hounds be nigh him he may wind
them and hye him well from them. But never-
theless his nature is for the most part to flee ever
on the wind till he be nigh overcome, or at the
least sideways to the wind so that it be ever in
his nostrils. And when he shall hear them that
they are far from him, he hieth him not too fast.
And when he is weary and hot, then he goeth to
yield, and soileth to some great river, and some
time he foils down in the water half a mile or more
ere he comes to land on any side. And that he
doeth for two reasons, the one is to make himself
cold, and for to refresh himself of the great heat
that he hath, the other is that the hounds and the
hunter may not come after him nor see his fues in the
water, as they do on the land. And if in the country
there is no great river he goeth then to the little
(one) and shall beat up the water or foil down the
water as he liketh best for the maintenance (extent)
of a mile or more ere he come to land, and he shall
keep himself from touching any of the brinks or
branches but always (keep) in the middle of the

i : ’ Track or line.
et aussi affin que les chiens ne puissent bien

la Cueue au vent et non pas le nez” (“and also that the hounds shall

. . . . .
; ailsin the wind and not their noses”’)
uich makes the meaning clear.

® Shirley MS. has “‘ foyle,’”? which is unquestionably correct.