THE GATHERING 11 



chase, a custom which I could never reconcile with 

 propriety. 



Although the term hunting was applied to chasing 

 the deer with fi rennynge houndis,' and also slaying the 

 game with ' bowes and with grey-houndis,' there was 

 evidently a distinction in the preparations for the 

 chase, and the mode of assembling. The sports of the 

 field were not the only amusements; joyful festivity 

 was introduced as a finale, and doubtless the old walls 

 of regal and baronial tenements were made to echo 

 with the voice of hilarity. The succeeding extracts 

 are descriptive of the customs adopted preparatory to 

 hunting : 



"How the assembly should be made winter and summer* 



66 The assembly that men call gathering should be 

 made in this manner. The night before that the lord or 

 the master of game will go to the wood, he must make 

 come before him all the hunters, their helps, all the 

 grooms, and the pages; and should assign to each of 

 them their quests in certain places, and sever the one 

 from the other, that one should not come upon the 

 quest of the other, nor do him no annoyance nor let.* 

 And each should quest in his best wise, as, I have said. 

 And he shall assign them the placei where the 

 gathering should be made at the most ease of them all, 

 the nighest to their quests,. And the place where the 

 gathering should be made shall be in a fair mead, well 

 green, where the trees waxith all about, one from the 

 other, and a clear well or some running brook besides. 

 And it is called gathering because that all men and 

 hounds for the hunting gathereth them thither before 

 they go in the quests ; and should come again in a 

 certain place that I have spoken of. And also they that 



Earteth from them, and all the officers that parteth 

 om them, should bring thither all that they needeth, 

 each one in his own office, well and plenteously. And 

 should lay the towels and the board clothes all about 

 on the green grass, and set divers meats upon great 

 plenty, after the lord's power is. And some should eat 

 sitting, and some standing, and some leaning upon their 



* Hindrance. 



