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 it so be that the hunter that hath relayed, see that the deer
be likely to fall into danger, that is to say among other deer, and
else it needeth not, he should when he hath relayed stand still in the
fues, and holloa the hounds that come forth therewith and take up the
hindermost, and if it be in a park go stand again with them at his
place, and if it be out of park in a forest or other wood follow after
as well as he is able. And in this wise ought every relay to do till
he come among the back relays. For if they at the back see by the
spreading of the clees_ (claws) _by setting fast and deep his ergots_
(dew claws) _in the earth, and if they see him also cast his
chaule,[214] then they ought to vauntlay for advantage of the hounds,
for so shall they sooner have him at bay, and from then he is but dead
if the hunters serve aright the hounds. Nevertheless men have seen at
the first finding or soon after, deer turn the head_ (to bay), _and
oftenest in rutting time, but I mean not of deer that turneth so to
bay, but I mean of hunted deer when men have seen of them the tokens
said before that he stand at bay. And if it be so that the hounds have
envoised[215] or have overshot, or that they be on a stynt by any
other ways, those hunters on horseback or on foot to whom belongs the
right, first should blow the stynt as I shall devise in a chapter that
shall be of all blowing.[216] And after that he should fall before the
hounds as soon as he can and take them up, and if so be that they have
envoysed two deer of antler[217] they should not be rated badly, but
get in front off them and take them off in the fairest way that men
can. And if they run ought else they should be got in front of and
rated and well lashed. And what hounds they may get up, bring them to
the next rights_ (right line) _if they know where, or else there where
he_ (the hart) _was last seen. And if it be great danger they ought to
blow a mote for the lymer and let him sue till he hath retrieved him
or else till he hath brought him out of danger. And as oft as he
findeth or seeth that he is in the rights the lymerer should say loud,
"Cy va" twice or thrice--and recheat, and so should the hunters as oft
as they lust to blow. And if the lymer overshoot or cannot put it
forth, every hunter that is there ought to go some deal abroad for to
see if he may find the rights by vesteying_ (searching) _thereof. And
whoso may find it before the lymer be fallen in again, he should
recheat in the rights, and blow after that a mote for the lymer and
sue forth as is said before. And if the lymer gave it up, and cannot
and will not do his devoire_ (duty), _then should they blow two motes
for the raches and cast them off there where they were last in the
rights. And if the hunters hear that the hounds run well and put it
lustily forth they should rout and jopey[218] to them lustily and
often and recheat also. And if there be but one hound that undertaketh
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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