WHAT MANNER A GOOD

CAP*™, xix._WHAT MANER AND CON-
DICIONS A GOODE HUNTERE SHOULD
HAUE

Tuow, sire, whateuer pou be grete or litel, p‘ wilt
tech a man to be a good huntere, first pe must be
a childe passid vii. or viii. yere of age or litel elder,
and if pat eny man wold saie pat I take a child
in to tendre age for to put hym to trauaile, I
answere pat alle natures shorten and descenden
for euery man knoweth well pat a childe of vii
yere age can more in pis time pat nowe is of
soche pingis as hem likep to lerne ban somtyme
covde a child of xii yere, and perfore I put hym
so yonge perto for oo craft requireth al a mannys
lif or he be perfite perof. And also men sayn
p' a man lernyd in yougth wil it hald best in his
eelde and perfore to pis childe longen many pings.
First pat he love his mayster, and his herte and
his besynes, be on pe houndes and most take* hym
and bete hym whan he wil not do pat his maister
comaundep hym in to pe time pat pe child be a
drad for to faile, and first I shal teche hym for to
take hym by writt al pe names of pe houndes and
of pe hewis of be houndes, in to pe tyme pat pe
childe knowith hem both by hewe and bi name,
after I wil teche hym to make clene euery day in
pe mornyng pe houndes kenel of al foule pingis.
After I wil hym lerne to put bifore him twies in
pe day fresshe water and clene of a welle, in a
vessel per as pe houndes drynken or faire rennyng
water in pe mornyng or in pe evenyng. Aftir I
will hym pat onys in pe day he voyde pe kenel and
make it al clene and remeve her strawe and putt
agayn fressh new straw a greet dele and ryght
pikke and per as he leip it pe houndes shull lye
and pe place peras pei shuld lye shuld be made of
tre a foot hie fro pe erthe and pan pe strawe
shuld be leide vpon bicavse pat pe moustenesse of
pe erpe shuld not make hem morfound,’ ne engen-
dere oper siknesse bi pe which pei myght be pe
wors for huntyng, And also pat he be bop a
feelde and at woode delyuered and wel eyed and wel
avised of his speche and of his termys and euer glad
to lerne and pat he be no boostour ne Jangelere.

1G. de F. has the words in brackets, p. 116.
2 Here sense of G. d. F. p:

° Morfondre, Old Fr. to take cold, glanders.

116 is preferable, the “take”

69

HUNTER SHOULD HAVE

CHAP. 19.—WHAT MANNER AND CON-
DITION A GOOD HUNTER SHOULD

HAVE

Tuou, Sir, whatever you be, great or little, that
would teach a man to be a good hunter, first he
must be a child past seven or eight years of age
or little older, and if any man would say that I
take a child in too tender age for to put him to work,
I answer that all nature shortens and descends.
For every man knows well that a child of seven
years of age is more capable in these times of such
things that he liketh to learn than was a child of
twelve years of age (in times that I have seen).
And therefore I put him so young thereto, for a
craft requires all a man’s life ere he be perfect in
it. And also men say that which a man learns in
youth he will hold best in his age. And further-
more from this child many things are required,
first that he love his master, and that his heart
and his business be with the hounds, and he must
teach him, and beat him when he will not do what
his master commands him, until the time that the
child dreads to fail. And first I shall take and teach
him for to take in writing all the names of the
hounds and of the hues of the hounds, until the
time that the child know them both by the hue
and by the name. After I will teach him to make
clean every day in the morning the hounds’ kennel
of all foul things. After I will learn him to put
before them twice a day fresh water and clear,
from a well, in a vessel there where the hound
drinks, or fair running water, in the morning and
the evening. After I will teach him that once in
the day he empty the kennel and make all clean,
and renew their straw, and put again fresh new
And there
where he layeth it the hounds should lie, and the
place where they should lie should be made of
trees a foot high from the earth, and then straw
should be laid thereupon, so that the moisture
of the earth should not make them morfounder?
nor engender other sicknesses by the which they
might be worse for hunting. Also that he be both
at field and at wood active and quick with his eyes,
and well advised of his speech and of his terms,

and ever glad to learn and that he be no boaster
nor jangler.

straw a great deal and right thick.

is probably the scribe’s mistake for tache, teach.