FENCE MONTH. The month so called began, according to Manwood, fifteen days before and ended fifteen days after midsummer. During this time great care was taken that no men or stray dogs should be allowed to wander in the forest, and no swine or cattle were allowed to feed within the precincts, so that the deer should be absolutely undisturbed during three or four weeks after the fawning season. He tells us that because in this month there must be watch and ward kept with men and weapons for the fence and defence of wild beasts, for that reason the same is called fence or defence month (Man., p. 76, ed. 1598). FEWTE, fuite, fute (M. E.), O. Fr. fuite (_voie de cerf qui fuit_), track, trace, foot. Gawaine: feute. Will of Palerne (90): foute. Some beasts were called of the sweet _fute_, and some of the stinking _fute_. The lists of the beasts which should come under either heading vary somewhat; some that are placed by the "Boke of St. Albans" under "Swete fewte" coming under the other category in the MS. Harl., 2340. IN "BOKE OF ST. ALBANS." IN HARL. MS. 2340, FOL. 50B. _Beasts of "Swete fewte."_ The Buck, the Doo, the Beere, the The Buke, the Doo, the Ber, Reynd, the Elke, the Spycard, the the Reyne der, the Elke, Otre, and the Martwn. the Spycard. _Beasts of the "Stinking fewte."_ The Roobucke, the Roo, the The Fulmard, the Fechewe, Fulmard, the Fyches, the Bauw, the Catt, the Gray, the the Gray, the Fox, the Squirrel, Fox, the Wesyll, the the Whitecat, the Otyr, the Stot, Marteron, the Squirrel, the the Pulcatt. Whyterache, the Otyr, the Stote, the Polcatte. In Roy Modus the beasts are also divided into _bestes doulces_ and _bestes puans_. The reasons for doing so are also given (fol. lxii.): "_Les bestes doulces sont: le cerf, la biche, le dain, le chevreul et le lièvre. Et sont appelées doulces pour trois causes: La première si est que d'elles ne vient nulle mauvais senteur; la seconde, elles ont poil de couleur aimable, lequel est blond ou fauve; la tierce cause, ce ne sont mie bestes mordans comme les autres cincq, car elles n'ont nulz dens dessus; et pour ces raisons puent bien estre nommées bestes doulces._" Under the _bestes puans_ are classed the wild boar, the wild sow, the wolf, the fox, and the otter.