The Master of Game: The Oldest English Book on Hunting — John Shaqi
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
you he thinketh of no other sin or of no other evil. And when the hart
be overcome and shall be at bay he shall have pleasure. And after,
when the hart is spayed[14] and dead, he undoeth him and maketh his
curée and enquireth or rewardeth his hounds, and so he shall have
great pleasure, and when he cometh home he cometh joyfully, for his
lord hath given him to drink of his good wine at the curée, and when
he has come home he shall doff his clothes and his shoes and his hose,
and he shall wash his thighs and his legs, and peradventure all his
body. And in the meanwhile he shall order well his supper, with
_wortes_ (roots) _and of the neck_ of the hart and of other good
meats, and good wine _or ale_. And when he hath well eaten and drunk
he shall be glad and well, and well at his ease. And then shall he
take the air in the evening of the night, for the great heat that he
hath had. And then he shall go and drink and lie in his bed in fair
fresh clothes, and shall sleep well and steadfastly all the night
without any evil thoughts of any sins, wherefore I say that hunters go
into Paradise when they die, and live in this world more joyfully than
any other men. Yet I will prove to you how hunters live longer than
any other men, for as Hippocras the doctor telleth: "full repletion of
meat slayeth more men than any sword or knife." They eat and drink
less than any other men of this world, for in the morning at the
assembly they eat a little, and if they eat well at supper, they will
by the morning have corrected their nature, for then they have eaten
but little, and their nature will not be prevented from doing her
digestion, whereby no wicked humours or superfluities may be
engendered. And always, when a man is sick, men diet him and give him
to drink water made of sugar and tysane and of such things for two or
three days to put down evil humours and his superfluities, and also
make him void (purge). But for a hunter one need not do so, for he may
have no repletion on account of the little meat, and by the travail
that he hath. And, supposing that which can not be, and that he were
full of wicked humours, yet men know well that the best way to
terminate sickness that can be is to sweat. And when the hunters do
their office on horseback or on foot they sweat often, then if they
have any evil in them, it must (come) away in the sweating; so that he
keep from cold after the heat. Therefore it seemeth to me I have
proved enough. Leeches ordain for a sick man little meat and sweating
for the terminating and healing of all things. And since hunters eat
little and sweat always, they should live long and in health. Men
desire in this world to live long in health and in joy, and after
death the health of the soul. And hunters have all these things.
Therefore be ye all hunters and ye shall do as wise men. Wherefore I
counsel to all manner of folk of what estate or condition that they
be, that they love hounds and hunting and the pleasure of hunting
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