84 THE MASTER OF GAME 



whelps. And so that they should not lose their 

 time men spaye them, save these that men will 

 keep open to bear whelps. And also a spayed 

 bitch lasteth longer in her goodness than other 

 two that be not spayed.^ And if a bitch be with 

 whelps the which be not of ward let the bitch fast 

 all the whole day, and give her then with a little 

 grease the juice of a herb men calleth titimal, the 

 which the apothecaries knoweth well, and she 

 shall cast her whelps. Nevertheless it is a great 

 peril namely if the whelps be great and formed 

 within the bitch. The greatest fault of hounds 

 is that they live not long enough, most commonly 

 they live but twelve years. And also men should 

 let run no hounds of what condition that they be 

 nor hunt them until the time that they were a 

 twelve month old and past. And also they can 

 hunt but nine years at the most. 



1 Lasts longer good, i.e. lasts as long as two hounds that 

 have not been spayed. G. de F. (p. 86) adds : "or at least 

 one and a half." 



