44 THE MASTER OF GAME

swoor to here bifore his men. And it byfelle so
pat be Kyng Claudoneus sone of Fraunce was
besyde his fadir. Sir, she saide, here is your sone
pe whiche hap don pis dede nowe I require yow
as ye haue sworn to me pat 3e yefe hym to me
for I wil non other 3ift of yow. The Knyng
Claudoneus turnyd hym pantoward his soneand said
thus: thou cursed harlot, pou hast shamyd and
shent me and trewly I shal shende pe, and pogh
I haue no mochildryn 3it shal I not spare. Thane
he comaunded his men to make a grete fire and
caste his sone therynn, And pan he turnyd hym
toward the damyselle whan pe fyre was grete
ilight, and pus to here said, Damysel now take
hym for I delyuer him to yow as I be hoot, and
3ou assured. The damysel durst not come nye
for pat tyme for pat tyme he was al brent. Thus
ensaumple haue I brou3t forthe for the noble-
nesse of houndes and also of lordes pat han be
of olde tyme. But I trowe pat fewe lordes byn
now pat wold do so even and so open justice. An
hounde is trewe to his lord or to his maystere
and of good loue or verrey, an hounde is of greet
vndirstondyng and of greet knowynge, a hound
greet strength and grete bounte,! An hounde is
a wise beest and a kynde, an hounde hap greet
mynde and greet smellyng,* An hounde hap
grete bisynesse and greet my3t, an hounde is of
greet wurthynes and of greet sotilte, a hound
liztnesse and of greet purueaunce, an hounde is
of good obeysaunce, for he wil lerne as a man al
that a man wil teche hym,a hounde is ful of good
sport, houndes ben so good pat vnnepes ther nys
no man comonly pat ne wold haue of hem som
for oo craft and some for anoper, Houndes ben
hardy for oon hounde dare wel kepe his maisters
hous, and his beest and also he wil kepe al his
maistres goodes, and rapere he wil be dede pan
eny ping be lost in his kepyng. And 3it to
afferme pe noblenesse of houndes I shal you telle
a tale of a greyhounde pat was Aubries of
Moundydier * pe which men may se poynted in pe
reame of Fraunce in many places. pat Aubery
was a squyer of pe Kynges hous of Fraunce, and
vpon a day he was goyng fro pe courte to his
owyn hous and as he passyd by pe woodes of
boondes pe which byn nye Paris and led wip hym
a wel good and a faire greihounde pat he had
norshed up, A man pat hated hym for greet
envie wipout eny other reson, And was cleped
Makarie ranne vpon him wipin pe wood and slow
hym without warnyng for Aubry was not ware
of hym. And whan pe greihounde sougthte his

hath done the deed,” and the King swore to her
before his men, and it so befell that the King
Clodoveus son of France was beside his father.
“Sir,” she said, “here is your son the which hath
done this deed. Now require I you as ye have sworn
to me that ye give him to me, I will no other gift
of you.” The King Clodoveus of France turned
him then towards his son and said thus: “Thou
cursed harlot, thou hast shamed and disgraced
me and truly I shall disgrace you. And though
I have no more children yet shall I not spare.”
Then the king commanded to his men to make
a great fire, and cast his son therein, and he turned
him toward the damsel when the fire was great
alight, and thus to her he said: “ Damsel, now
take ye him for I deliver him to you, as I promised
and assured you.” Thedamsel durst not come nigh,
for by that time he was all burnt. This ensample
have I brought forth for the nobleness of hounds
and also of lords that have been in olden times.
But I trow that few lords be now that would do
so even and so open justice. A hound is true to
his lord and his master, and of good love and true.

A hound is of great understanding and of
great knowledge, a hound hath great strength
and great goodness,’ a hound is a wise beast and a
kind (one). A hound has a great memory and
great smelling,”a hound has great diligence and great
might, a hound is of great worthiness and of great
subtlety, a hound is of great lightness and of great
perception, a hound is of good obedience, for he
will learn as a man all that a man will teach him.
A hound is full of good sport ; hounds are so good
that there is scarcely a man that would not
have of them, some for one craft, and some for
another. Hounds are hardy, for a hound dare
well keep his master’s house, and his beasts, and
also he will keep all his master’s goods, and he would
sooner die than anything be lost in his keeping.
And yet to affirm the nobleness of hounds, I shall
tell you a tale of a greyhound that was Aubery’s
of Mondidier,® of which men may see the painting
in the realm of France in many places. Aubery
was a squire of the king’s house of France, and upon
a day that he was going from the court to his own
house, and as he passed by the woods of Bondis,
the which is nigh Paris, and led with him a well
good and a fair greyhound that he had brought
up. A man that hated him for great envy without
any other reason, who was called Makary, ran upon
him within the wood and slew him without warning,
for Aubery was not aware of him. And when the
greyhound sought his master and found him he

1G. de F. p. 84, “ Chien a force et bonté.” i.
2G. de F. says “ sentement,” good sense, feeling, or sympathy ; ibid.
8 Spelling taken from G. de F. (p. 85) in modern text.

 

 

 

 

OF THE MANNER AND

mayster and fonde hym ded he keuered hym withe
erpe and with leeues with his clees and with moosel
in pe beest wise pat he myght. And whan he had
be pere iii dayes and myght ne lenger abide for
hounger he turnyd a3ein to pe kynges court and
per he founde Makarey whiche was a greet gentil-
man and had slayn his maystir, And also as sone
as the greyhound had perceyued Makarie he ranne
vpon hym and shuld haue mayned hym, but 3if
men had lette hym. The Kyng of Fraunce the
whiche was wise and perceyueng askeng wat it was,
and men tolde hym alle pesothe The greihounde
toke from pe boordes pat he myght, and brou3t
to his mayster and putte mete in his mouthe,
And in pe same pe greyhounde did iii or iii dayes.
And pan pe Kyng made men to folowe the grey-
hounde to se whider he bere the mete pat he toke
in pe court, And pan pei founde hym ded and
beryed, the said Avbry and pan the Kyng as I
haue said made come many of the men of his
court and made hem strike the greyhoundes sydes
and hym cherissh, and made his men lede hym by
the Colier alonge by pe hous but he steryd neuer,
and pan phe Kyng commaundide Makarie to take
a gobett of bleyssh and 3if it to pe greihounde
and as sone as be greyhounde sey Makary he left
the flesshe and wold a ronne vpon hym, And
whan the Kyng sey pat he had greet suspeccion
vpon Makarie he sayd to Makary ye must fyte
ajenst the greyhound And than he began to
lowre but anoon be Kyng made hym betake in
dede and oon of pe kynnesmen of Auberie sey
the grete mervaile of be greyhound and said pat
he wold swere vpon the sacrament pat is custumed
in sooche a caas for be greyhound, and Makarye
swered in pat oper side, and pan were pei ledde in
to oure ladies Ile at Parys, and pere faught pe
greihounde and Makarie, pe whiche Makerie had
a gret ii handed staf and po pei faught pat
Makary was scomfited, and pan the Kyng
comaunded pat pe greyhound the whiche had
Makarie vnder hym, shuld be take vp. And pan
made inquere the sob of Makarie pe which
knowleched pat he had slayn Auberye in treson
and perfore he was hanged and drawe. pe bitches
ben in joly in hure loue comonly, twies in the
yere but pei haue no terme of her heet, for in
euery tyme of pe yere som been joly. Whan pei
ne ee eee ey sachin
or Ned ide pe houndes wip eny defense

xii daies or lasse! and somtyme xv daies after pat
pei be of hoot nature or ot cold pe oon
pe other, or aftir that some in her plite }
ee ae
e pei abide lenger in

moor pan
bann some
f you 3eue
her hete

CONDITIONS OF HOUNDS 45

covered him with earth and with leaves with his
claws and his muzzle in the best way that he could.
And when he had been there three days and could
no longer abide for hunger, he turned again to
the king’s court. There he found Makary, who
was a great gentleman, who had slain his master,
and as soon as the greyhound perceived Makary,
he ran upon him, and would have maimed him,
unless men had hindered him. The King of France,
who was wise and a man of perception, asked what
it was, and men told him the truth. The greyhound
took from the boards what he could, and brought
to his master and put meat in his mouth, and the
same wise the greyhound did three days or four.
And then the King made men follow the greyhound,
for to see where he bear the meat that he took
in the court. And then they found Aubery dead
and buried. And then the King, as I have said,
made come many men of his court, and made them
stroke the greyhound’s side, and cherish him and
made his men lead him by the collar towards the
house, but he never stirred. And then the King
commanded Makary to take a small piece of flesh
and give it to the greyhound. And as soon as
the greyhound saw Makary, he left the flesh, and
would have run upon him. And when the
King saw that, he had great suspicions about Makary,
and said (to) him that he must needs fight with
the greyhound. And Makary began to laugh,
but anon the King made him do the deed, and one
of the kinsmen of Aubery saw the great marvel
of the greyhound and said that he would swear
upon the sacrament as is the custom in such a
case for the greyhound, and Makary swore on the
other side, and then they were led into our Lady’s
Isle at Paris and there fought the greyhound and
Makary. For which Makary had a great two-
handed staff, and they fought so that Makary was
discomfitted, and then the King commanded that
the greyhound the which had Makary under him
should be taken up, and then the King made enquiry
of the truth of Makary, the which acknowledged
that he had slain Aubery in treason, and therefore
he was hanged and drawn. The bitches be jolly
in their love commonly twice in a year, but they
have no term of their heat, for every time of the
year some be jolly. When they be a twelvemonth
old, they become jolly, and be jolly while they
await the hounds without any defence, eleven days at
least, and sometimes fifteen days, according as to
whether they be of naturally hot or cold the one
ed than another, or whether some be in better
ten chen, tr thes Ge a

: : much meat
they abide longer in their heat than if they had

5 GadeyBNge NC Atimoinee2