46 THE MASTER OF GAME

pan 3if thei had but lytel mete and also 3if pei
were cast in Reuere twies in pe day pei shuld be
pe raper out of here jolite They beren here
whelpes ix wekes or more pe whelpes byn blynde
whan pei ben welpede til pei bene ix daies olde pei
may wel se, and lappe wel whan pei be a monyth
oolde, but pei han grete nede of hure dame in to
pe tyme pat pei be ii monethis olde,’ and pan pei
shuld be fedde wip gootes mylke, or wip kowes
mylk, and crommes of brede imaked smale and put
perinne and specially in be morowe and at nyght
by cause pat pe nyght is more cold pan the day.
And also men shuld 3eue hem crommes in flessh
brothe and in pis wise men may norsshe hem to pei
be of half yeere olde. And by pat tyme pei shul cast
her hookes and whan pei han cast here hokes, pan
men shulde teche hem to ete drye brede and lape
watir litel and litel for an hounde pat is norshed
of grece and fat brothe whan he hath cast his
hokes, but if he haue alwaies soppes or bandes he
is a chis” hounde and of euel warde and also pei
ben not so wel breched as pei that eten alway
brede and watir, whan pe biches ben alyned pei
lose her tyme and also pe while pei be grete with
whelpes and also the while her whelpes souke, and
but pei ben alyned sone vpon pei shul lose her
tyme for her tetes abiden grete and wexen ful of
wynde in to pe tyme pat pei shuld haue had here
whelpes, and by cause pei shuld not leese here
tyme men make hem ispaide saue pis men wil
kepe oon to bere whelpes and also oon spaied
biche lesteth lengere in hure bounte pan ober ii
pat byn not spaied.* And 3if a biche be with
whelpes pe whiche ben not of ward lat the biche
fast al a day hool and yeue here pan wip a litel
grece the jus an herbe the whiche men clepen
titimal pe whiche be ypoticaries knowen wel, and
she shal cast here whelpes. Napbertheles it is gre
perile namely 3if be whelpes bene grete and
fourmed withinne the bicch. The moost defaute
of houndes is pat pei lyuen not longe inowe for
most comonly pei lyuen but xii yere and also
men shuld late renne non houndes of what con-
diciouns that pei be of, ne noz3ut hunte with hem
into pe tyme pat pei were a xii mounthis olde and
passed. And also bei may hunte but ix yeere at
the moost.

but little. And also if they were cast in a river
twice in a day they should be sooner out of their
jollity. They bear their whelps nine weeks or
more ; the whelps (are) blind when they are whelped
till they be nine days old and then they may well
see and lap well when they are a month old, but
they have great need of their dam to the time that
they be two months old,! and then they should be well
fed with goat’s milk or with cow’s milk and crumbs
of bread made small and put therein, especially in the
morn and at night. Because that the night is more
cold than the day. And also men should give them

crumbs in flesh-broth, and in this wise men may

nourish them till they be half a year old, and by
that time they shall have cast their hooks, and
when they have cast their hooks they should teach
them to eat dry bread and lap water little by little,
for a hound that is nourished with grease and fat
broth when he casts his hooks, and he hath always
sops or tit-bits, he is a dainty® hound and of evil
ward. And also they be not so well breathed
than if they have eaten always bread and water.
When the bitches be lined they lose their time,
and also while they be great with whelps, and
also while their whelps suck. If they are not lined,
soon they will lose their time, for their teats remain
great and grow full of wind until the time that they
should have had their whelps. And so that they
should not lose their time men spaye them, save
these that men will keep open to bear whelps.
And also a spayed bitch lasteth longer in her
goodness than other two that be not spayed.* And
if a bitch be with whelps the which be not of ward
let the bitch fast all the whole day, and give her
then with a little grease the juice of a herb men
calleth titimal, the which the apothecaries knoweth
well, and she shall cast her whelps. Nevertheless
it is a great peril namely if the whelps be great
and formed within the bitch. The greatest fault
of hounds is that they live not long enough, most
commonly they live but twelve years. And also
men should let run no hounds of what condition
that they be, nor hunt them until the time that
they were a twelve month old and past. And
also they can hunt but nine years at the most.

1 G. de F. (p. 85) adds: ‘‘ and then they may be taken from their mother.” .
, j Nitty 1 4 . > ce e
2 “ Chis,” or ‘‘ cheese,” hound, probably dainty hound, a chooser, from ‘“cheosan,”’ Mid. Eng. “ choose,” to
, ; i

distinguish ; also written ‘‘ ches,” chees.’’ (Stratmann.)

8 Lasts longer good, i.e., lasts as long as two hounds that have not been spayed. G. de F. (p. 86) adds :

“or at least one and a half.”

 

 

TREATMENT. OF SIGK “ORV INJURED. HOUMDS