THE WOLF AND HIS NATURE 59 



evil and venomous on account of the toads and 

 other vermin that they eat. They go so fast 

 vi^hen they be void (are empty) that men have let 

 run four leashes of greyhounds, one after the 

 other and they could not overtake him, for he 

 runs as fast as any beast in the v^orld, and he lasts 

 long running, for he has a long breath. When 

 he is long hunted with running hounds he fleeth 

 but little from them, but if the greyhounds or 

 other hounds press him, he fleeth all the covert 1 

 as a boar does and commonly he runs by the high 

 ways. And commonly he goeth to get his liveli- 

 hood by night, but sometimes by day, when he 

 is sore ahungered. And there be some (wolves) 

 that hunt at the hart, at the wild boar and at the 

 roebuck, and windeth as far as a mastiff, and 

 taketh hounds when they can. There are some 

 that eat children and men and eat no other flesh 

 from the time that they be acherned ^ (blooded) 

 by men's flesh, for they would rather be dead. 

 They are called wer-wolves, for men should be- 

 ware of them, and they be so cautious that when 

 they assail a man they have a holding upon him 

 before the man can see them, and yet if men see 

 them they will come upon them so gynnously 

 (cunningly) that with great difficulty a man will 

 escape being taken and slain, for they can wonder 



1 He keeps to the coverts. 



^ Acherned, from O. Fr. acharné, to blood, from chair, flesh. 



