ALAUNTES AND THEIR NATURE 117 



alauntes will run gladly and bite the horse. Also 

 they run at oxen and sheep, and swine, and at all 

 other beasts, or at men or at other hounds. For 

 men have seen alauntes slay their masters. In 

 all manner of ways alauntes are treacherous and 

 evil understanding, and more foolish and more 

 harebrained than any other kind of hound. And 

 no one ever saw three well conditioned and good. 

 For the good alaunte should run as fast as a grey- 

 hound, and any beast that he can catch he should 

 hold with his seizers and not leave it. For an 

 alaunte of his nature holds faster of his biting 

 than can three greyhounds the best any man can 

 find. And therefore it is the best hound to hold 

 and to nyme (seize) all manner of beasts and hold 

 them fast. And when he is well conditioned and 

 perfect, men hold that he is good among all 

 other hounds. But men find few that be perfect. 

 A good alaunte should love his master and follow 

 him, and help him in all cases, and do what his 

 master commands him. A good alaunte should 

 go fast and be hardy to take all kinds of beasts 

 without turning, and hold fast and not leave it, 

 and be well conditioned, and well at his master's 

 command, and when he is such, men hold, as I have 

 said, that he is the best hound that can be to take 

 all manner of beasts. That other kind of alaunte is 

 called veutreres. They are almost shaped as a 

 greyhound of full shape, they have a great head, 



