CHAPTER XVIII 



OF THE MASTIFF AND OF HIS NATURE 



A MASTIFF is a manner of hound. The mastiff's 

 nature and his office is to keep his master's beasts 

 and his master's house, and it is a good kind of 

 hound, for they keep and defend with all their 

 power all their master's goods. They be of a 

 churlish nature and ugly shape. Nevertheless 

 there are some that come to he berslettis,^ and also 

 to bring well and fast and wanlace (range) about?" 

 Sometimes there be many good, especially for men 

 who hunt for profit of the household to get flesh. 

 Also of mastiffs and alaunts there be (bred) many 

 good for the wild boar. Also from mastiffs and 

 hounds for the hawk (there be bred) hounds that 

 men should not make much mention of, therefore I 

 will no more speak of them, for there is no great 

 mastery nor great readiness in the hunting that 

 they do, for their nature is not to be tenderly nosed. 



^ Bercellettis or bercelettes, hounds, most likely shooting 

 dogs, from berser, to shoot, bercel, an archer's butt. 



^ Wanlasour, one who drives game. Appendix : Wanlace. 



