OF THE ALAUNTES AND OF THEIR NATURE 65 nature of alauntz is clepid ventreres! almost pei bene shapon as a greyhounde of ful shap pei han grete hedes and greet lippes and greet eeris and wip such men helpep hem at pe baityng of a boole* and atte huntynge of a wilde boor, pei holde fast of here nature but pei byn and foule® and ben slayn wip wilde boor or wip pe bulle and it is not ful grete losse, and wher pei may ouertake a beest pei biten and holden hure stille, but by hem self pei shuld neuyr holde pe beest but 3if be grei- houndes were withe hem, for to make pe beest tarye.‘ That oper nature of Alauntz of pe bochere is soch as ye may alle day see in good times pat byn called greet bochers houndis pe which bouchers holde for to helpe hem to bryng here beestis, pat pei byn in pe cuntre for 3if an oxe escapid from pe boochers pat leden hym his houndes wold go take hym, and holde hym to his master were come and shuld helpe hym to benynge hym agayn to pe toun. pei byn of litel cost for pei etyn be foule pinges in pe boochiers rowe, and also pei kepen her maisters hous, pei byn good for pe batyng of pe dole’ and huntyng of pe wild boore whedir it be with greihoundis at trustre,° or with rennyng houndis at abbay wip inne Pe Couerte for whan a wilde boor is wip inne a strong hatte of wood perauenture of alle pe day he wil not voide pennys for pe rennyng houndes. And whan men lat soche mestifis renne at pe boor, pei taken hym in pe thik spoyes* and make some men slee hym, or pei make hym come out of pe strenght pat he ne shal abide long at abaies. 1 See Appendix: Velteres. called veutreres.1 They are almost shaped as a greyhound of full shape, they have a great head, great lips and great ears, and with such men help themselves well at the baiting of the bull” and at hunting of the wild boar, for it is natural to them to hold fast, but they are so (heavy) and ugly,® that if they be slain by the wild boar or by the bull, it is not very great loss. And when they can over- take a beast they bite it and hold it still, but by themselves they could never take a beast unless greyhounds were with them to make the beast tarry.‘ That other kind of alauntes of the butcheries is such as you may always see in good towns, that are called great butchers’ hounds, the which the butchers keep to help them to bring their beasts that they buy in the country, for if an ox escape from the butcher that leads him, his hounds will go and take him and hold him until his master has come, and should help him to bring him again to the town. They cost little to keep as they eat the foul things in the butcher’s row. Also they keep their master’s house, they are good for bull baiting,® and for hunting wild boar, whether it be with greyhounds at the tryst® or with running hounds at bay within the covert. For when a wild boar is within a strong thicket of wood, perhaps all day the running hounds will not make him come out. And when men let such mastiffs run at the so that any man can slay him, or they make him come out boar they take him in the thick woods’ ofhis strength, so that he shall not remain long at bay. 2 G. de F. has nothing here about bull-baiting, but he says one can use them for hunting bear or wild swine (p. Ior). * “ But they be so foul (ugly) that if they be slain.” 4 a Z 2 i G. de A (p. Tor) has a few words more here: “ Donc tout homme, qui vuelt hanter la chasse des ours et des porcs, doit avoir et levriers et alanz veautres ou de boucherie, et mastins si n’en puelt avoir des autres; quar fort tiennent comme j’ai dit plus que lévriers.”’ (“Therefore every man who frequents the chase of bears and wild boar should have both greyhounds and alauntes-veautres or of the butchery and mastiffs if he can have no other, for they hold fast as I have said better than greyhounds.’’) See Appendix: Alaunts. ° G. de F. (p. 102) here again says that these hounds are good for bear-hunting, and does not mention bull- baiting. Tryst. ’ Thick spires or young wood. 6 ; nice : . : G. de F. (p. 102) says: ‘Ou soit avec levriers au titre” (“or with greyhounds at the tryst”). See Appendix :