APPENDIX 223 



is described in modern dictionaries as " resembling a fox- 

 hound but smaller, used for hare-hunting " (Murray). 

 This explanation would not have been a correct one for 

 our harriers of the fourteenth century, for as far as we 

 can gather they were used to hunt all kinds of game and 

 by no means only the hare. They were evidently a 

 smaller kind of running hound, for as our MS. says, there 

 are some small and some large running hounds, " and the 

 small are called Kenettis (or small dogs — see Kenet), and 

 these hounds run well to all manner of game and they 

 that serve for all game men call them heirers" (p. iii). 

 And in chapter 36 we see that heyrers were used to hunt 

 up the deer in the forest, the herthounds and greyhounds 

 meanwhile being held in leash till a warrantable deer was 

 on foot, or till " the heyrer have well run and well made 

 the rascal void " (made the smaller deer clear out of that 

 part of the forest) (p. 191). Then the herthounds were 

 to be uncoupled where the most likely "ligging is for an 

 hert, and seek." The herthounds then put up the wary 

 old stag and hunted him till he came to the tryst where 

 the King would be with his long bow or cross-bow, or 

 till the hert was pulled down by them or the greyhounds 

 which had been slipped at him. 



In the chapter on hare-hunting in our MS. the word 

 harrier does not occur ; only hounds, greyhounds, and 

 raches are mentioned. So when Henry IV. paid for " La 

 garde de nos chiens appelez hayrers " (Privy Seal, 20 Aug. 

 9th Henry, 1408, No. 5874), or Henry V. for the " Cus- 

 todlam Canum nostrum vocatorum hayreres " (Rot. Pat. i 

 Henry V. 141 3), it was not because they were especially 

 addicted to hare-hunting, but because they kept these 

 useful hounds to " harry " game. 



In 1407 we find one Hugh Malgrave '^ servient! vena- 

 tori^ vocaf hayters p' cvo \cervo\ which we may accept 

 as another proof that their office was to hunt the stag. 

 The Duke of York also repeatedly says that '' heirers " 

 run at all game (see pp. iii, 196, 197). In 1423 Hugh 

 Malgrave still held the "office of the hayrers" by grant 



