OF THE WILD BOAR AND OF HIS NATURE

pe smale tethe speke not I, pe whiche byn like
anoper boores teth the twey toysshes aboue serue
of no thyng saue for to make sharpe his ii neiper
tusshes and make hem wel kittyng and men
by30unde pe see callen pe nether tusshes or pe boor
his armes or his fylis wip pe which pei doon grete
harme, and also pei per callen his tusshes aboue
gres! for pei ne seruen of no ping but for to make
pe opere sharpe as I haue seyd, and whan pei be
at pe bays euermore pei smyten her tusshes
togidere for to make hem sharpe and better kitte.
Whan men hunten pe boor comonly pei goon to
pe soile and soilep hem in pe drit and 3it pei be
hurt pe soile is here medecyne. The boor pat is
in hys iii yere or litel more passed is more perilous
and more swift and more harme dop pan an olde
boor as a yong mane moor pan an old, but an
hold boore wil rather be dede pan a yonge for he
is prudder and more hevy and deynep nat to flee
for raper he wil renne vppon a man pan flee and
smytethe grete strokes but not so perilously as a
yonge boor. A boor hereth wondire wel and
cleerly and whan he is hunted and commeth out
of pe forest or of pe bussh and he is so huntyd
pat he must voyde pe contre pan he is ful sore a
drad to take the playn contre and leve pe forest”
and perfore he puttep his heued out of pe woode
or he putte out his body and pan he abydep pere
and harkenep and lokep about, and takep pe wynde
in euery side and 3if pat tyme seep ony thyng pe
whiche myght lette hym of his way pat he wold
goo than he turnep hym agayn in to be wode and
pan wil he neuer more come out poo al pe hornes
But
whan he hathe vndir take pe way to go out he
wil spare for no ping pat he ne shuld holde his
way porghout, Whan he fleep he makep but fewe
turnynges but it be whan he wil turne to a bay
and pan he rennep vpon pe houndis and vpon pe
man, and for no strooke ne for wounde pat men
doon to hym be playnneth nat ne criep not but
whan he renneth vpon pe men pan he manesseth
strongly gronyng. But pe while he may defende
hym silf, he defendep hym wibout playneng
and whan he may no lenger defende hym self,
ther ben fewe boores that ne playnnen hem
and cryen whan pei be Ouyrcome to pe deep,’
as opere swyne doon and aftir hur pastures were
hard or neyssh men beren hem not to pe kirre*
neipere pei bene not juged as pe hert and opere
beestis of venerie with grete payn a boor may leve

and al the halowyng of pe world were pere.

z From the French grés, grinding-stone or grinders.
2 G. d. F., p. 60, has “‘ fortress’ instead of “ forest.”

29

I, the which are like other boar’s teeth. The two
tusks above serve for nothing except to sharpen
his two nether tusks and make them cut well and
men beyond the sea call the nether tusks of the
boar his arms or his files, with these they do great
harm, and also they call the tusks above grinders,"
for they only serve to make the others sharp as
Ihave said, and when they are at bay they keep
smiting their tusks together to make them sharp

and cut better. When men hunt the boar they

commonly go to soil and soil in the dirt and if
they are hurt the soil is their medicine. The boar
that is in his third year or a little more is more
perilous and more swift and does more harm than

an old boar, asa young man more than an old man.
An old boar lets himself be killed quicker than a
young one for he is proud and heavier and
deigneth not to fly, and sooner he will run upon
a man than fly, and smiteth great strokes but not
so perilously as a young boar.

A boar hears wonderfully well and clearly, and
when he is hunted and cometh out of the forest
or bush or when he is so hunted that he is com-
pelled to leave the country, he sorely dreads to
take to the open country and to leave the forest,”
and therefore he puts his head out of the wood before
he puts out his body, then he stops there and
harkeneth and looketh about and taketh the wind
on every side. And if he seeth anything that he
thinks might hinder him in the way he would go,
then he turneth again into the wood. Then he
will never more come out though all the horns and
When
he has taken the way to go out he will stop for
When he

fleeth he maketh but few turns, but when he turneth

all the holloaing of the world were there.
nothing but will hold his way throughout.

to bay, and then he runneth upon the hounds and
upon the men. And for no stroke or wound that
men give him will he complain or cry, but when he
runnethupon the men he menaceth, strongly groaning.
But while he can defend himself he defendeth himself
without complaint, and when he can no longer
defend himself there be few boars that will not
complain or cry out when they are overcome to
the death.®

They drop their lesses (excrements) as other swine
do, according to their pasture being hard or soft.

But not take them to the curée+
nor are they judged as of the hart or other beasts

men do

of venery.
A boar can with great pain live twenty years ;

a pit ter ”
After the word “death” full stop should occur, for in this MS. and, singularly enough, also in the Shirley MS

the following words have been omitted: “ Tt i
a ave bee 8 hey drop their lesses,’
* To the kirre, or curée, is a mistake in our MS. a the Shirley MSS

* continuing “as other swine do.”
G. d. F., p. 61, says “ a l’assemblee.”’