THE YOUNG IDEA 15 



hounds should be there with them, for that belongs to 

 the yeomens office. And also the master of the game 

 should be informed by the forester or parker what 

 game the king shall find within his set.J And when all 

 this is done then should the master of the game worthe § 

 upon his horse and meet the king, and bring him to his 

 standing, and tell him what game is with the set, and 

 how the greyhounds are set and eke the stable, and 

 also to tell him w^hether it be better to stand with his 

 bow, or with his greyhounds, for it is to wit that the 

 lesses of his chamber and of the queen's should be best 

 set. And there two feuterers ought for to make lodges 

 of green boughs or trysts for to keep the king and the 

 queen and the gentlemen and the greyhounds from the 

 sun and from evil weather. And when the king is at 

 his standing or at his tryst whichever that he prefers, 

 and that the master of the game or his lieutenant have 

 set the bows, and assigneth who shall lead the queen 

 to her tryst, then he should blow three long moots to 

 the uncoupling." 



The succeeding chapter, containing instructions for 

 bringing up a youth intended for the occupation of 

 huntsman, is highly amusing : — 



" Thou, sir, whatever you be, great or little, that 

 would teach a man to be a good hunter, first he must 

 be a child eight years of age or a little older ; and if any 

 man shall say why I take a child of so tender age for 

 to put him to travail, I answer and say that all natures 

 shorteth and distendeth. For every man knoweth well 

 that a child of eight years old can more in this time, 

 that now is, of such things that he liketh to learn than, 

 some time, could a child of twelve years ; and therefore 

 I put him so young thereto ; for a craft requireth all a 

 man's life ere he be perfect thereof, and also men say 

 that what a man learneth in his youth he will hold in 

 his age. And furthermore to this child belongeth many 

 things, first, that he love his master and that his heart 

 be busy on the hounds. And he must take him and 



X That quarter of the forest around which are ' set ' the men and 

 hounds, or ' stables.' 



§ Mount. 



