THE HART AND HIS NATURE 29 



the Holy (Cross) in September 14th and then 

 they go to rut as I have said. 



And the first year that they be calved they he 

 called a Calf, the second year a bullock ; and that 

 year they go forth to rut ; the third year a brocket ; 

 the fourth year a staggard, the fifth a stag ; the 

 sixth year a hart of ten 1 and then first is he chase- 

 able^ for always before shall he be called but rascal 

 or folly. Then it is fair to hunt the hart, for it 

 is a fair thing to seek well a hart, and a fair thing 

 well to harbour him, and a fair thing to move 

 him, and a fair thing to hunt him, and a fair 

 thing to retrieve him, and a fair thing to be at 

 the abbay, whether it be on water or on land. A 

 fair thing is the curée,^ and a fair thing to undo 

 him well, and for to raise the rights. And a well 

 fair thing and good is the devision ^ and it be a 

 good deer. In so much that considering all things 

 I hold that it is the fairest hunting, that any man 

 may hunt after. They crotey their fumes (cast 

 their excrements) in divers manners according to 

 the time and season and according to the pasture 

 that they find, now black or dry either in flat 

 forms or engleymed (glutinous) or pressed, and 

 in many other divers manners the which I shall 

 more plainly devise when I shall declare how the 

 hunter shall judge, for sometimes they misjudge 



^ In modern sporting terms, a warrantable deer. 



2 See Appendix : Curée. ^ Should be : venison. 



