The Master of Game: The Oldest English Book on HuntingEdward, of Norwich
History
The Master of Game: The Oldest English Book on Hunting
Edward, of Norwich
Hunting -- Early works to 1800
remnant of the bows would stand. And the yeoman for the King's bows
ought to be there to keep and make the King's standing, and remain
there without noise, till the King comes. And the grooms that keep the
king's dogs and broken greyhounds should be there with him, for they
belong to the yeomen's office, and also the Master of the Game should
be informed by the forester or parker what game the king should find
within the set,[242] and when all this is done, then should the Master
of the Game worthe_ (mount) _upon_ (his) _horse and meet the King and
bring him to his standing and tell him what game is within the set,
and how the greyhounds be set, and also the stable, and also tell him
where it is best for him to stand with his bow or with his greyhounds,
for it is to be known that the attendants of his chamber and of the
queen's should be best placed, and the two fewterers ought to make
fair lodges of green boughs at the tryste to keep the King and Queen
and ladies, and gentlewomen and also the greyhounds from the sun and
bad weather. And when the King is at his standing or at his tryste,
whichever he prefers, and the Master of the Game or his lieutenant
have set the bows and assigned who shall lead the Queen to her tryste,
then he should blow the three long motes for the uncoupling. And the
hart hounds and the harriers that before have been led by some
forester or parker thither where they should uncouple, and all the
hounds that belong to both the mutes_ (packs) _waiting for the Master
of the Game's blowing. Then should the sergeant of the mute of the
hart-hounds, if there be much rascal within the set, make all them of
office, save the yeomen of the horse, hardel[243] their hounds, and in
every hardel two or three couple of hounds at the most suffice. And
then to stand abroad in the woods for relays, and then blow three
motes to the uncoupling. And then should the harrier uncouple his
hounds and blow three motes and seek forth saying loud and long, "hoo
sto ho sto, mon amy, ho sto" and if they draw far from him in any
unruly manner he should speak to them in that case as when he seeketh
for the hare. And as oft as he passes within the set from one quarter
to another, he should blow drawing, and when he is passed the boundary
of the quarter, and entered into a new quarter, he should blow three
motes and seek forth, but if so be, that his hounds enchace anything
as he wishes, and if any hound happen to find of the King's_ (game),
_he should hue to him by his name and say loud: "Oyez a Bemond,
oyez-oyez, assemble, assemble," or what the hound is named, "assemble,
assemble" and jopey and rally. And if it be an hart and any of the
hart hounds meet with it they should blow a mote and rechace and
relay, and go forth therewith all rechacing among. And if it come to
the bows or to greyhounds and be dead, he should blow the death when
he is come thither, and reward his hounds a little, and couple them up
and go again to his place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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