HOW TO KNOW A HART BY HIs TRACE

CAP". xxiii -HOW AN HUNTER SHULD
LEDE HIS GROME IN QUEST TO
KNOW AN HERT BY THE TRACE

Tuane shuld his grome lede his lymer in quest
after hym in pe mornyng and teche hym to knowe
what difference is by twyn an hertis trace” and an
hendis as J haue said bifore. This woord quest 1s a
terme of hert hunters by younde pe see and is as mooch
to say as whan an hunter gop to fynde of an hert
and to herborowe hym. And to know a greet hert
trace fro a yonge as for to knowe pe trace of a
yong deere of auntelere from an hyndes and how
many juggement3 and knowleche per be, and for
to make more certayn perof he shuld haue an
olde hertis foot and a yonge hertis and an heyndes
foot also, and he shuld putt it in hard erthe and
in neyssh and onys put it fast in pe erpe as pei pe
herte were huntyd and anoper tyme soft as bof
pe hert went a pase, and perbi he may avise hym
to know pe difference of pe hertis feet. And per
shal wel fynde pat per nys no dere so yong 3if he
be from a broket vpward pat is taloun® nys more
large and bettir and more greet Argus* pan hath
an hynde and comonly lenger traces. Naberlees
per byn some hyndes wel tracid pe which hauyn
pe sool of pe foot as a staggard or a smal stagge
but pe talon ne pe argus ben not so greet ne so
large. And also a grete hert and an olde haba
better sool of his foote and a bettir taloun, and
bettir boonys and more grete and more large pane
hath a grete dere or an hynde, and somtyme in
puttyng in pe erpe pe hertis foot and pe hyndes
foot as I haue saide he shal mowe know the dif-
ference better pan I can deuyse. And also an
hynde comonly hap her traces more holowe pan a
staggard or a staggeand more vpon pe clee® bifore
pan an herte of x for of pe othire reche I neuer.
The juggement is in pe taloun. Whan he is
grete and brood and pe poynt of pe foot brode,
and men have I say a greet hert and an olde pe
which had holow tracis and pat may not greue
so pat he haue pe ober signez bifore said, for an
holow trace, and a sharpe clee bitokeneth noon
oper ping pan p' contre per be hert hath hauntid
nessh contre or hard, and where bep but fewe
stones or p° he hap be hunted but a litel. And

' Tracking hound. The old form of
in the notes.

* See Appendix: Slot, and Trace.

4 Dew claws.

° The words in brackets have b
have been thus inserted to complete the sense.

CHAP. 23—HOW A MAN SHOULD
LEAD HIS GROOM IN QUEST FOR
TO KNOW A HART BY HIS TRACE

TuEN should his groom lead his lymer’ in quest
after him in the morning, and teach him to know
what difference is between a hart’s trace” and a
hind’s. As I have said before, this word quest
is a term of hart hunters beyond the sea, and is as
much for to say as when the hunter goeth to find
of a hart and to harbour him. For to know a
great hart’s trace from a young, and to know the
trace of a young deer of antler from a hind’s, and
how many judgments and what knowledge there
be, and for to make more certain thereof, he should
have an old hart’s foot and a young hart’s and a
hind’s foot also, and should put it in hard earth
and in soft, and once put it fast in the earth as
though the hart were hunted and another time
soft, as if the hart went slowly, thereby he may
advise him to know the differences of a hart’s foot,
and he shall find that there is no deer so young if
he be from a brocket upwards, that his talon® is
not larger and better and has greater ergots* than
has a hind, and usually longer traces. Neverthe-
less there are some hinds well traced, which have
the sole of the foot as a staggard or a small stag,
but the talon and the ergots are not so great nor
so large. Also a great hart and an old one has a
better sole to his foot, and a better talon and better
bones and greater and larger than has a young
deer or hind. And so in putting in the earth the
hart’s foot and the hind’s foot as I have said, he
shall know the difference and better than I can
devise. And also the hinds commonly have their
traces more hollow than a staggard or a stag, and
more open the cleeves® in front than a hart of ten,
for of the others reck I never. The judgment is
in the talon (when it is great and large, and in the
sole of the foot)® when it is great and broad, and the
point of the foot broad. And men have seen a
great hart and an old one, the which had hollow
traces, and that cannot matter so that he hath
the other signs before said. For a hollow trace
and sharp cleeves betoken no other thing than
that the is a_ soft
country or hard, and where there be but few stones,

or that he has been hunted but little. And also if

country the hart haunts

spelling is retained in the modern text, but the modern limer is used

5 Heel.
® Cleeves, the toes of a deer.

een omitted in our MS. but are in the Shirley MS. and G. de F. p. 129; they

K