WILD BOAR AND HIS NATURE 51 



and when he is hunted and cometh out of the 

 forest or bush or when he is so hunted that he is 

 compelled to leave the country, he sorely dreads 

 to take to the open country and to leave the 

 forest,^ and therefore he puts his head out of the 

 wood before he puts out his body, then he abideth 

 there and harkeneth and looketh about and taketh 

 the wind on every side. And if that time he 

 seeth anything that he thinks might hinder him 

 in the way he would go, then he turneth again 

 into the wood. Then will he never more come 

 out though all the horns and all the holloaing of 

 the world were there. But when he has under- 

 taken the way to go out he will spare for nothing 

 but will hold his way throughout. When he 

 fleeth he maketh but few turnings, but when he 

 turneth to bay, and then he runneth upon the 

 hounds and upon the man. And for no stroke 

 or wound that men do him will he complain or 

 cry, but when he runneth upon the men he 

 menaceth, strongly groaning. But while he can 

 defend himself he defendeth himself without 

 complaint, and when he can no longer defend 

 himself there be few boars that will not complain 

 or cry out when they are overcome to the death. ^ 



^ G. de F., p. 60, has " fortress," instead of "forest." 

 2 After the word " death " a full stop should occur, for in this 

 MS. and, singularly enough, also in the Shirley MS. the follow- 

 ing words have been omitted : " They drop their lesses," 

 continuing "as other swine do." 



