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
And if the hart has escaped he should no
longer rechace, but blow drawing and draw in again, and in the best
way that he can, take up his hounds and get in front of them. And
after that the harriers have well run and well made the rascal
void,[244] then should the sergeant and the berners of the hart hounds
blow three motes, the one after the other and uncouple there where
they suppose the best ligging_ (lair) _is for a hart, and seek as
before is said; unless it be the season when the hart's head is
tender, then he shall use some of the aforesaid words of seeking to
the hounds: "Le doulez, mon amy, le doulez, le doules," and if his
hounds find anything do as before is said, and if it be a hart, do as
above is said, as he may know by his fues or by men that meet with
him. And if it be ought else, the berner ought to blow drawing, and
who meeteth with him_ (the hart) _call to them, and the berner should
say "Sto arere so how, so how." And if the lymerer meet withal, or see
by the fues that it is an hart, he should sue thereto till he be dead.
If it go to the greyhounds and if it go to the bows, and be smitten
anon, as he findeth blood he should take up his hounds and lead them
thence and reward them a little, and then if he escape out of the set,
he should reward his hounds, and take them up and go again to the wood
and look if he may meet with anything. And as often as he meeteth and
findeth, or his hounds run on a fresh scent, do as before is said. And
one thing is to be known, that the hart-hounds should never be
uncoupled before any other, unless a hart be readily harboured, and
that he may be sued to and moved with the lymer, or else that they be
uncoupled to a herd of great male deer at the view, namely within a
set in a forest or in a park, there where there is a great change of
rascal. And that is the cause why the other hounds shall be first
uncoupled to make the rascal void, for small deer will sooner leave
their covert than will a great hart, unless it be a hind that hath her
calf in the wood, and hath lately calved. And when the rascal is thus
voided then the hart hounds are uncoupled and they find the great old
wily deer that will not lightly void, and they enchace him well and
lustily and make him void both to bows and to greyhounds, so that they
fully do their duty. And all the while that the hunting lasteth should
the carts go about from place to place for to bring the deer to the
curée. And there should the server[245] of the hall be to arrange the
curées, and to lay the game in a row, all the heads one way--and every
deer's feet to the other's back. The harts should be laid in two or
three rows_ (by themselves) _according to whether there be many or
few, and the rascal in the same way by themselves, and they should
take care that no man come within the curées till the King come, save
the Master of the Game. And when the covert is well hunted and
cleared, then should the Master of the Game come to the King to know
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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