8 THE MASTER OF GAME 



should he less think to do evil, for he hath enough 

 to do to think of his supper, and to ease himself 

 and his horse, and to sleep, and to take his rest, 

 for he is weary, and to dry himself of the dew or 

 peradventure of the rain. And therefore I say 

 that all the time of the hunter is without idleness 

 and without evil thoughts, and without evil works 

 of sin, for as I have said idleness is the foundation 

 of all vices and sins. And the hunter may not be 

 idle if he would fill his office aright, and also he 

 can have no other thoughts, for he has enough to 

 do to think and imagine of his office, the which 

 is no little charge, for whoso will do it well and 

 busily, especially if they love hounds and their 

 office. 



Wherefore I say that such an hunter is not idle, 

 he can have no evil thoughts, nor can he do 

 evil works, wherefore he must go into paradise.^ 

 For by many other reasons which are too long to 

 write can I prove these things, but it sufficeth 

 that every man that hath good sense knoweth well 

 that I speak the real truth. 



Now shall I prove how hunters live in this world 

 more joyfully than any other men. For when the 

 hunter riseth in the morning, and he sees a sweet 

 and fair morn and clear weather and bright, and he 



^ Gaston de Foix in the French parent work puts it even 

 more forcefully ; he says : " tout droit en paradis." See 

 Lavallee's ed. 1854. 



