BIBLIOGRAPHICAL PREFACE. xxxi 



home at euyn rayn-beteii, pryckyd, and his clothes torne, 

 wete, shode all mvry. Some hounde lost : some surbat. 

 Suche greaves, and many other, hapyth the hunter, which 

 for dvspleysanse of theym y' love it, I dare not reporte. 

 Thus truly me semyth that this is not the beste dysporte 

 and game of the sayd foure. The dysporte and game of 

 hawkvnsre is laboryous and novouse also, as me semvth. 

 For often the fawkener lesyth his hawkes as the hunter 

 his houndes. Thenne is his game and disporte goon. Full 

 often cryeth he and whystleth tyll that he be ryght euyll 

 athurste. His hawke taketh a bowe, and lyste not ones on 

 hym rewarde when he wolde have her for to flee : thenne 

 woll she bathe. Wyth mysfedynge she shall have the 

 Frouse : the Rye : the Cray : and many other sycknesses 

 that brynge them to the sowse. The dysporte and game 

 of fowlynge me semyth moost symple. For in the wynter 

 the fowler spedyth not but in the moost hardest and cold- 

 est wether. For when he wolde go to his gynnes he 

 maye not for colde. Many a gynne and snare he makyth. 

 Yet soryly dooth he fare. At morn-tyde he is weete shode 

 unto his taylle. Many suche others I coulde tell ; but drede 

 of magre makyth me fer to leave. Thus me semyth that 

 huntynge, and hawkynge, and also fow^lynge ben so labor- 

 ous and grevous that none of theym may perfourme nor 

 bi very meane that enduce a man to a mery spyryte : 

 whyche is the cause of a longe lyfe. Dowteles, thene fol- 

 lowyth it that it must nedes be the dysporte of fysshynge 

 with an angle. For all other manere of fysshynge is also 

 laborous and grevous ; often makynge folkes full wete and 

 colde, whych many tymes hath be seen cause of greate 

 infirmytees. But the angler maye have no colde, nor no 

 dysease, nor angre. For he maye not lese at the moost but 

 a lyne or a hooke ; of whyche he may have store plentee 

 of his owne makynge, as this symple treatyse shall teche 

 hym. So thenne his losse is not grevous, and other greyffes 

 may he not have, savynge but yf ony fisshe breke away 



