IN SPIRES AND HIGH WOOD 159 



cast round about by some ways or by-paths, and 

 if he sees that he hath not passed out of his turn, 

 he may return again to the gathering, and make 

 them his report, and if it be so that he pass there 

 where he would umbicast (cast round) and make 

 his turn, and his lymer before him, then he should 

 look if it is the same hart he had umbicast (cast 

 round), and if he cannot well see at his ease, then he 

 should reconnoitre the country till he can see easily 

 and plainly, but have a care that his lymer open 

 not, and if his lymer he dislave'^ (be wild), let him 

 investigate it with his eye. And if he seeth that 

 it is his first hart he should not follow him, but 

 then he should take another turn and umbicast. 

 He must look that he go not along the ways, for 

 it is the worst sueing that is : for the lymer 

 commonly overshoots. But he should go a little 

 way off the paths on one side or the other, until 

 he (the hart) be within his turn, for then he is 

 most securely harboured and the search shall be 

 shorter. But if he see that it be too late to run 

 him with strength, and if he see that the hart goes 

 but softly pacing towards his stronghold he need 

 not do all these things. And I pray him where 

 he hath met with the hart, or harboured him in his 

 stronghold or in coppices or in other thickets, 

 that he take all his blenches (tricks) and his ruses 



^ Shirley MS. Dislavee — obsolete word meaning going beyond 

 bounds, immoderate. 



