THE GREYHOUND 87 



Greyhounds without introducing her description, so universally has 

 this been done. In doing so, there are one or two points that need 

 a little elucidation. In his eighth year the good dame suggests that 

 he is only a lick ladle ', probably intending to convey that he is fit 

 to lick a trencher ; and in his ninth year cart and saddle may be 

 used to take him to the tanner. 



THE PROPERTIES OF A GOOD GREHOUNDE 



A Grehound shold be heeded lyke a snake 



And neckyd lyke a drake, 



Footed lyke a catte, 



Tayllyd lyke a ratte, 



Syded lyke a teme, 



And chynyd lyke a beme. 



The fyrst yere he must lerne to fede, 



The second yere to felde him lede, 



The thyrde yere he is felowe lyke, 



The fourth yere there is none syke, 



The fyfth yere he is good enough, 



The syxte yere he shall hold the plough 



The seventh yere he woll avaylle 



Grete bytches for to assaylle, 



The eygthe yere licke ladyll, 



The nynthe yere cartsadyll ; 



And when he is comyn to that yere 



Have him to the tannere, 



For the best Hounde that ever bytche had 



At nynthe yere he is full badde. 



To begin the detailed description with the head which includes 

 jaws, teeth, eyes, ears, and brain development first the general 

 form must be considered. It must be quite evident that " heeded 

 lyke a snake " cannot be taken literally, the heads of the two animals 

 having nothing in common ; and the thing savours rather of literary 

 licence than of physiological accuracy. 



Arrian says: "Your Greyhounds should have light and well- 

 articulated heads, whether hooked or flat-nosed is not of much 

 consequence, nor does it greatly matter whether the parts beneath 

 the forehead be protuberant with muscle. They are alone bad 

 which are heavy-headed, having thick nostrils, with a blunt instead 

 of a pointed termination." Edmund de Langley, in his " Mayster 

 of Game," says : " The Greihound should have a long hede and 

 somedele grete, ymakyd in the manner of a luce ; a good large 

 mouth and good sessours, the one again the other, so that the 

 nether jaws passe not them above, ne that thei above passe not him 

 by neither"; and coming down to Gervase Markham, in the 

 sixteenth century, we have his description : " He should have a 

 fine long leane head, with a sharp nose, rush grown from the eyes 

 downward." 



