134 Appendix B 



nature, and have not so good witte as many o]?er houndes have ; for 

 if a man prik an hors, ^e alaunt wil gladly renne and bite H hors; 

 also I'ei renne at oxen, and at sheepe, at swyne, and to alle oj^er 

 beestis, or to men, or to o}?er houndes, for men han seyn alauntz sle 

 ■ here maystire. And in alle maner wise alauntz byn July felle, and 

 evel undirstondyng, and more foolish and more sturdy I'an eny oJ?er 

 maner of houndes. And men seyn never ]>re wel condicions [condi- 

 ciond] and good, for a good alaunt shuld renne also fast as a grei- 

 hounde, and eny beest jjat he my3t come to he shuld hold wi]? his 

 sesours and noujt leve it, for an alaunt of his nature holdeth faster 

 his biteng Jjan should iii greihoundes ]>e best I'at eny man may fynde, 

 and J?erfore it is l^e best hounde for to hold and for [to] nyme al 

 maner beestis, and hold myjtely. And whan he is wel condiciond and 

 pertitly [good], men hold l^at he is good amonge al oj^er houndes; but 

 men fynden but fewe J'at doon [rather, byn] perfite. A good alaunt 

 shuld love his maistire, and folowe hym, and helpe hym in alle cace; 

 and what J'ing his maister wold hym comaunde he shuld do. A good 

 alaunt shuld goo fast, and be hardy to nyme al maner beestis 

 wi]?out turnyng, and hold fast and not leve it, and wel condiciond, 

 and wel at his maistris comaundement ; and when he is soche, men 

 hold, as I have saide, )?at he is oon ]>q good""^ hounde ]>^ may be for 

 to take al maner beestis. 



That ol^er [65] nature of alauntz is clepid veutreres. Almost J'ei 

 bene shapon as a greyhounde of ful shap, [but] J^ei han grete hedes, 

 and greet lippes, and greet eeris ; and wi]? such men helpe)? hem" 

 at Ipe baityng of a hoole and atte huntygne of a wilde boor, pei 

 holde fast of here nature, but \>t\ byn [heavy] and foule, and [jif 

 thei] ben slayn \w\\> wilde boor or wij? J^e bulle, and [om.] it is not 

 ful grete losse. And'^ wher J^ei may overtake a beest, \>e{ biten and 

 holden hure stille; but by hem self J^ei shuld nevyr holde l^e beest, 

 but ^if I^e greihoundes were withe hem, for to make )>& beest tarye.^" 

 That oj^er nature, of alauntz of J^e bocher[i]e, is soch as ye may alle 

 day see in good times [tounes], ]>at byn called greet tochers houndis, 

 ]>t which bouchers holde'* for to helpe hem to bryng here beestis j^at 

 \>t\ byn^ in J^e cuntre ; for, ^if an oxe escapid from J^e boochers J^at 

 leden hym, his houndes wold go take hym, and holde hym to"" his 

 master were come, and shuld helpe hym to benynge [brynge] hym 



ton says (p. 86) : 'With almost the strength of a tiger he combines the 

 excitability of a terrier, and no doubt a badly trained Great Dane is a 

 very dangerous animal.' 



-'The best. 



-^ Themselves. 



-^ A portion untranslated. 



'' Keep. 



"'' Buy. 



=" Until. 



