222 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



which twenty years ago were held at every meet till 

 more expeditious methods of tufting brought them to 

 nought. 



In one of the MS. copies of "The Master of 

 Game" is a most amusing illustration, beautifully 

 reproduced in Mr. Baillie Grohman's edition. 



The Lord and two friends are seated at a low table 

 covered with a cloth ; a screen of canvas, supported 

 by sticks, is drawn round the whole party. At cloths 

 spread on the ground the various retainers eat, and 

 they afford a useful study of table manners without 

 knives and forks : two men are skilfully dismember- 

 ing a fowl, while others are drinking from the same 

 pattern barrel that a haymaker carries his cider in to 

 the present day. The wines for the high table are in 

 silver flagons and in a long-necked pottery jar with a 

 curious movable handle like that to a " crock," such 

 as one sees in a farmhouse chimney. The use of 

 this is obvious, for they are all cooling in a running 

 stream. 



In the middle of the festivity the huntsman arrives, 



having harboured a stag. To use the words of 



Gascoigne in "The Blazon of the Hunte " — 



Low I crouche before the Lordings all, 



Out of my home the fewmets let I fall, 



And other signs and tokens do I tell 



To make hope the Harte may like them well. 



Then they command that I the wine should taste, 



So bids mine Arte and so my throat I baste. 



In the picture he has not only let the fewmets or 

 droppings fall, but spread them broadcast over the 



