56 THE MASTER OF GAME day, and anoynt it with oile olife and lay no ping vpon and he shale lik it wip his tunge and hele hym self! and if peraventure in be wounde come eny wormes as I have seyd some tyme euery day 3e shul pyke hem out with a styk and ye shul putt in the wounde pe juce of pe leeues of a peochetre imeyngid wip quyk lyme in to pe tyme pat pei be hoole, Also it happethe to many houndes pat pei smyten the forlegge ayenst pe hyndere wherfore her thies dryen* and bene lost perby, and pan 3if 3e see pat it last hem lenger pan pre daies pat pei sette not her fete at pe erpe pan slittep pe thi alonge and ouyrwerte wipinne pe thie croswyse vppon pe boon, pat is vponne pe turne boone of pe knee behynde, and pan puttep thervppon wulle iwette in oyle dolif as bifore is said by iii daies alhole, and pan aftiranoynt be wounde wib Oile wipouten byndyng as I haue said and he shal hele hymself with his tunge. Somtyme an hound is euyl astifled * so pat he somtyme abidep half a yere or more erbe be wel ferme, and but if he be so tent nevire rekeuere, and pan it nedep pat 3e lat hym longe soiourne in to be tyme pat he be alhole, and to pat haue left his haltyng pat is oon pigh be no grettere pan his other and if he may not be hoole, do alle pis to him as men doon to an hors pat is spauled in pe shuldere before, I draw pourghe out a corde of horshere* and he shal be hoole. Somtyme hem bifallen an euyl in pe ballok purs,® somtyme for to long huntyng, and for long journeis, and for brekyng® or sumtyme whan bitches ben joly and pei may not come to hem at here eese as pei wold and pat humour renneb into pe ballokis and somtyme for smyteng whan pei ben smytte vpon in huntyng or in oper places. To pis siknes and to alle oper in that maner pe best helpe is to make a purs of clothe iii or iili tyme double and take lynsed and put it wipinne and put it in a potte and lete menge it withe wyne and lete hem wele boyle to gideres and medille hem alway with a stike, and whan it is wel boilled putt it wipinne pe purs pat I of speke, also hoot as pe hound may suffre it, and puttep his ballokes and byndep wip a bond perto by twix be thyes and aboue pe bak make wel fast pe ballok vpward, and leue an hool in pe clothe for to put out the tayle and his eris, and anoper hole bifore for pe yerde pat he may scombre and pysse, and renewe pat ping euery 1 In the Shirley MS. there is added: “the hound tongue beareth medicine and especially to himself has the same (p. 97). ? Wither or dry up. % Inflammation of the stifle joint. 4 Seton. G. deF. (p. 98) says: “une ortie et un sedel de corde.” olive oil, and lay nothing upon it. And he shall lick it with his tongue and heal himself. If per- adventure in the wound come worms as I have seen some time, every day ye shall pick them out with a stick, and ye shall put in the wound the juice of leaves of a peach tree mingled with quicklime until the time that they be whole. Also it happeneth to many hounds that they smite the forelegs against the hinder wherefore their thighs dry? and be lost thereby, and then if ye see that it last them longer than three days that they set not their foot to the earth, then slit ye the thigh along and athwart within the thigh, crosswise upon the bone, that is upon the turn bone of the knee behind, and then put thereupon wool wet in olive oil as before is said, for three whole days. And then after anoint the wound with oil without binding as I have said, and he shall heal himself with his tongue. Some- times a hound is evil astyfled,® so that he shall sometime abide half a year or more ere he be well, and if he be not well tended he will never recover. Then it needeth that ye let him long sojourn until the time that he be whole, until he is no longer halting, that is that one thigh be no greater than the other. And if he may not be all whole, do to him as men do to a horse that is spauled in the shoulder in front, draw throughout a cord of horse- hair,* and he shall be whole. Sometimes an evil befalls in the ballock purse,° sometimes from too long hunting or from long journeys, or from rupture,’ or sometimes when bitches be jolly, and they may not come to them at their ease as they would, and that the humours runneth into the ballocks, and sometimes when they be smitten upon in hunting or in other places. To this sickness and to all others in that manner, the best help is for to make a purse of cloth three or four times double, and take linseed and put it within, and put it in a pot, and let it mingle with wine, and let them well boil together, and mix it always with a stick, and when it is well boiled put it within the purse that I spoke of, as hot as the hound may suffer it, and put his ballocks in that purse, and bind it with a band betwixt the thighs above the back, make well fast the ballocks upwards, and leave a hole in the cloth for to put out the tail and his anus, and another hole before for the yerde so that he may scombre and piss, and renew that thing once or 3) Ge ao I His word sedel came from the Spanish sedal The English seton comes from sefa a hair, because hair was originally employed as the inserted material. 5 Testicles. ® Rupture. The following words, which are in Shirley MS. and in G. de F., are left out: “some tyme for they more foundeth as an hors.’ OF SICKNESSES OF HOUNDS 57 twice until the time that he be whole. Also it is a well good thing fora man or for a horse that hath day onys or ii tymes in to pe tyme pat he be hoole, also is a wel goode ping for a man or for an hors . ‘ ‘ 1 that hap pis sekenesse.' this sickness. “ And God forbid that for (a) little labour or i i i is chapter : 1 The Shirley MS. has the following ending to this chapter Sree one es cost of this medicine, man should see his good kind hound perish, disports at divers times in hunting,” which is not taken from G. de F.