INTRODUCTION xiii 



mers, the elder of whom was the heir presumptive 

 to the throne, was of sufficient length to permit 

 him not only to translate La Chasse but to add 

 five original chapters dealing with English hunting. 



These chapters, as well as the numerous inter- 

 polations made by the translator, are all of the 

 first importance to the student of venery, for they 

 emphasise the changes — as yet but very trifling 

 ones — that had been introduced into Britain in the 

 three hundred and two score years that had inter- 

 vened since the Conquest, when the French language 

 and French hunting customs became established 

 on English soil. To enable the reader to see at a 

 glance which parts of the '' Master of Game " are 

 original, these are printed in italics. 



The text, of which a modern rendering is here 

 given, is taken from the best of the existing nine- 

 teen MSS. of the "Master of Game," viz. the 

 Cottonian MS. Vespasian B. XII., in the British 

 Museum, dating from about 1420. The quaint 

 English of Chaucer's day, with its archaic con- 

 tractions, puzzling orthography, and long, obsolete 

 technical terms in this MS. are not always as easy to 

 read as those who only wish to get a general insight 

 into the contents of the " Master of Game " might 

 wish. It was a difficult question to decide to what 

 extent this text should be modernised. If trans- 

 lated completely into twentieth century English a 

 great part of the charm and interest of the original 



