THE MASTER OF GAME

CAP) Xai, 12:—O) PEE) MANEIRNE:
AND TATCHES AND CONDICIONS
OF HOUNDES

Artir pat I haue spokyn of pe nature of beestis, of
venery and of chace pe whiche men shal hunte,
nowe wil I telle yow of pe nature of hundes pe
which hunteth and nemetp hem, and fyrst of
hure noble condicions pat be so grete and mer-
veillous in some hundes pat per is no man pat
maye leve it but he were a good skilful hunter
and wel knowyng, and pat I haunted hem longe,
for an hounde is pe moost resonable beest and
beste knowyng of eny beest pat euere God made,
and 3it in som case I neiper out take man ne oper
ping for men fynde it in so many stories and so
moche noblesse in houndes alway from day to
day, pat as I haue said per nysno man pat may leue
ne penk it. Napelees natures of men and of alle
beestes goon eueremore descendyng and decresyng
bothe of lif, and of goodnesse, of streyngth and
of alle opere pinges so wondirly, as pe Eerle of
Foix Phebus seip in his booke that whan he seeth
pe houndes pat ben now at huntyng and penkep
on the houndes pat he hap I seie in tyme pat is
passed, and also in pe goodnesse and pe trouthe
pe whiche was sumtyme in pe lordes of pis world
and oper comoun men, and seeth pat is in hem
this tyme, trewly he seithe pat per non com-
parisoun, and pis knowep wel euery man pat hath
eny good reson. But now lat God ordeyne
therof what his good wille is. But for to drawe
to my matere and telle pe noblenesse of pe
houndes, pe whiche han ben, some good tales I
shal you telle pe which I fynde in verrey wrytinge,
And first of pe Kyng Claudoneus* of Fraunce he
sent ones aftir his greet courte whereof where oper
Kyngges pat heelde londe of hym among pe
whiche was Kyng Apollo of Lyonnys”* and brou3t
wip hym to pe courte his wif and a greihounde
pat he had, pat was boothe good and faire. The
Kyng Claudoneus of Fraunce had a semoly yong
man to his sone of xx" yere of age and also so
sone as he seghe pe Quene of Lyonnys he loued
hure and prayed hure of loue. The Quene she
was a good lady and loued wel her lord, forsoke
hym and wold hym not, and said hym 3if 3if he
spoke to hure ony moore perof pat she wold telle
it to pe Kyng of Fraunce and to hure lord. And
after pat pe feest was passed, the Kyng Apollo of
Lyonnys turned agayn he and his wiff in to her

cuntre. And whan pei were so turned agayn he

Tin G de b. Clodoveus,~ p; 52,

See Appendix: Legends of Hounds.

CHAP. 12.-OF THE MANNER
AND HABITS AND CONDITIONS
OF HOUNDS

AFTER that I have spoken of the nature of beasts
of venery and of chase which men should hunt,
now I will tell you of the nature of the hounds
which hunt and take them. And first of their
noble condition the which is so great and marvellous
in some hounds that there is no man can believe
it, unless he were a skilful good hunter, and well
knowing, and that he hunted them long, for a
hound is a most reasonable beast, and best knowing
of any beast that ever God made, and yet in some
case I neither except man nor other thing, for men
find it in so many stories and seeso much nobleness
in hounds, always from day to day, that as I have
said there is no man that liveth but must think it.
Nevertheless natures of men and all beasts go ever
more descending and decreasing both of life and
of goodness and of strength and of all other things
so wonderfully, as the Earl of Foix Phebus sayeth
in his book, that when he seeth the hounds that
be now hunting and thinketh of the hounds that
he hath seen in the time that is passed, and also
of the goodness and the truth, which was some-
times in the lords of this world, and other common
men, and seeth what now is in them at this time,
truly he sayeth that there is no comparison, and
this knoweth well every man that has any good
reason. But now let God ordain thereof whatever
His good will is. But to draw again to my matter,
and tell the nobleness of the hounds, the which
have been, some good tales I shall tell you the
which I find in true writings. First of King
Clodoveus! of France, the which sent once after
his great court whereof were other kings which
held of him land, among the which was the King
Appollo of Léonois,* that brought with him to
the court his wife and a greyhound that he had,
that was both good and fair. The King Clodo-
veus of France had a seemly young man for his
son, of twenty years of age, and as soon as he saw
the Queen of

her of love. The Queen was a good lady and loved

Léonois he loved her and prayed

well her lord, forsook him and would him not,
and said (to) him that if he spake to her any more
thereof that she would tell it to the King of France,

and to her Lord. And after that the feast was

passed, King Appollo of Leonois turned again,
And when they

his wife, the King

he and his wife to their country.

were turned again, he and

2 G, de F. p. 82.

 

 

 

 

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