38 THE MASTER OF GAME

CAP™ IxX"—OF THE GREY AND OF
HIS NATURE

THE grey is a comon beest inowe and perfore
me nedep not to telle of his makyng for per ben
fewe men pat ne haue sey some of hem, and also
I take noon hede to speke myche of hym for it is
no beest pat nedep eny grete maystrie to devise of
pe huntyng of hym ne to hunt hym wyth strength
for a grey ne fleep not but a litel way pat he ne is
ouercome with houndes anoon or ellis he puttep
hym into pe bay, and pan is he slayn anoon his
moost dwellyng is in pe erpe namely beries and 3if
he be out perof he wil not walk fer pennes he
lyuep withe alle vermyes and kareyes and of alle
fruytes and of alle pinges as pe fox but he dar not
aventure hym so fer by day as pe fox for he can
not ne may not flee. He lyuep more by slepyng
pan by ony other pyng. Onys in pe 3eer pai
farowe as pe fox’ whan pai be hunted pei defende
hem longe and myghtely and han euel byteng
and venemous as pe fox and 3it pei defende hem
better pan pe fox. It is a beest of be werld pat
gaderith most grece withinne and pat is for pe
longe slepyng pat he slepeth, and his grece berep
medecyne as pat of pe fox and 3it wel moor, Men
seyn pat 3if a Childe pat neuer pt neuer had wered
shoon and pe first shon pat he shuld were were
makyd of pe greyes skyn pat chyld shuld here
horses of farsyn 3if he shuld ryde upon him, but
perof make I non affirmacion. His flessh is not
to ete ne pat of pe fox ne of pe wolf.

CHAP. 9.—OF THE BADGER AND
OF HIS NATURE

THE badger is a common beast enough and there-
fore I need not tell you of his making, for there be
few men that have not seen some of them, and also
I shall take no heed to speak much of him, for it
is not a beast that needeth any great mastery to
devise of how to hunt him, or to hunt him with
strength, for a badger can fly but a little way before
he is overcome with hounds, or else he goes to bay
and then he is soon slain. His usual dwelling is
in the earth in great burrows and if he comes out
he will not walk far thence. He liveth on all vermin
and carrion and all fruits and on all things such as
the fox. But he dare not venture so far by day
as the fox, for he cannot flee. He liveth more by
sleeping than by any other thing. Once in the
year they farrowas the fox.’ When they are hunted
they defend themselves long and mightily and have
evil biting and venomous as the fox, and yet they
defend themselves better than the fox. It is the
beast of the world that gathereth most grease
within and that is because of the long sleeping
that he sleepeth. And his grease bears medicine
as does that of the fox, and yet more, and men say
that if a child that has never worn shoes is first
shod with those made of the skin of the badger
that child will heal a horse of farcy if he should
ride upon him, but of that I make no affirmation.
His flesh is not to eat, neither is that of the fox nor
of the wolf.

1G. d. F., p. 76, adds: ‘“ And they farrow their pigs in their burrows as does the fox.”

BADGER

DRAWING