THE MASTER OF GAME

CAP". 22 xxii—HOW AN HUNTERS
HORN SHULD BE DRYVE

Ther byn diuers maners of hornes pat 2s to
say ungles, grete abotes, huntes hornes Ruettis*
smale forsters hornes and mene hornes of wz
maners. That 00 manere is wexed with grene
wex and grettere of sum and for per bene best
for good hunters perof will I devise how and
of what fasson per should be driue. first a
good hunters horn shuld be dryve of wu span of
lengthe, and nought moche more ne moch lasse,
and nought to crokyng neiper to straught, but the
flewe be of wr or wie fyngres uppermore pan the
hede, pat lowde* hunters callen pe grete eende of
the horn, and also pat it be as greet and holow
dryven as it may to pe length and pat it be
shorter at side to pe ban drike® ward pat at pe
neper side, and pat pe hede be as wide as rt may
be and ay ay dryve smallere and smallere to pe
we and pat rt be wel wexed pikker or pinner
after as pe hunter penkep pat 2t wil best soune,
and that rt be pe lenght of pe horn from pe flewe
to pe byndyng and also pat tt be not to smal dryven
Jrom pick byndyng to pe flue for uf ut be pe horn
wil be to mene of soune. And of hornes for
few trees' and wodemen I speke not of for
euery smale horn and oper mene hornes vnwexid
ben good inow for hem.

1 Ruet, ruwet, trumpet.

CHAP. 22.—HOW A MHUNTER’S
HORN SHOULD BE DRIVEN

THERE are divers kinds of horns, that is to say

bugles, great Abbot’s, hunter’s horns, Ruets,! smal]
Forester’s horns and meaner horns of two kinds,
That one kind is waxed with green wax and greater
of sound, and they be best for good hunters, there-
fore will I devise how and in what fashion tt

hey
should be driven.

First a good hunter’s horn should
be driven of two spans in length, and not much
more nor much less, and not too crooked neither
too straight, but that the flue be three or four
fingers uppermore than the head, that unlearned’
hunters call the great end of the horn. And also
that it be as great and hollow driven as it can for
the length, and that it be shorter on the side of the
baldric® than at the nether end. And that the
head be as wide as it can be, and always driven
smaller and smaller to the flue, and that it be well
waxed thicker or thinner according as the hunter
And that it be the
length of the horn from the flue to the binding,

thinks that it will sound best.

and also that it be not too small driven from the
binding to the flue, for if it be the horn will be too
mean of sound. As for horns for fewterers' and
woodmen, I speak not for every small horn and other
mean horn unwaxed be good enough for them.

See Appendix : Horns.

2 Shirley MS.: “‘lewed,” 7.e., laewed or unlearned (Stratmann).
8 Baldric, the belt on which the horn was carried.

4 Fewterer, the man who held the hounds in slips or couples.

See Appendix: Fewterer.

 

INSTRUCTING HUNTERS