CHAPTER XXII 



HOW A hunter's horn SHOULD BE DRIVEN 



7 here are divers kinds of horns^ that is to say bugles^ 

 great Abbot's^ hunter s horns, Ruets (trumpets), 

 small Forester s horns and meaner horns of two 

 kinds. That one kind is waxed with green wax 

 and greater of sound, and they be best for good 

 hunters, therefore will I devise how and in what 

 fashion they should be driven. First a good hunter s 

 horn should be driven of two sfans in length, and 

 not much more nor much less, and not too crooked 

 neither too straight, but that the flue be three or 

 four fingers uffermore than the head, that unlearned ^ 

 hunters call the great end of the horn. And also 

 that it be as great and hollow driven as it can for 

 the length, and that it be shorter on the side of the 

 baldric"^ than at the nether end. And that the 

 head be as wide as it can be, and always driven 

 smaller and smaller to the flue, and that it be zuell 

 waxed thicker or thinner accordi^ig as the hunter 

 thinks that it will sound best. And that it be the 



1 Shirley MS.: "lewed," i.e. laewed or unlearned (Strat- 

 mann). 



^ Baldric, the belt on which the horn was carried. 



