APPENDIX 237 



show that he was of too eager temperament, and likely 

 to overshoot the line ; if he trailed his liam on the ground, 

 it showed that he was slack or unwilling (D'Yauville). 



As soon as the stag was " moved " the limer's work 

 was over, but only for the time being ; his master led 

 him away, the other hounds were uncoupled, and the 

 harbourer, mounting his horse and keeping his limer 

 with him, rode as close to the chase as he could, skirting 

 below the wind and being careful not to cross the line, 

 but managing to be at hand in case the stag should run 

 in company or give the hounds the change. In this 

 case the huntsman had to check the hounds, and 

 wait for the harbourer and limer to come up and un- 

 ravel the change, and put the pack on the right scent 

 once more. 



The method of starting the stag with a limer was not 

 done away with in France until the eighteenth century, 

 although in Normandy a change had been made pre- 

 viously, and probably in England also. For our author 

 says that some sportsmen even in his time, when im- 

 patient, would uncouple a few of the hounds in the 

 covert, before the stag had been properly started by the 

 limer, which practice he, however, was not in favour of 

 except under the conditions he mentions. 



This uncoupling of a few older hounds in covert to 

 start the deer, coupling them again as soon as the deer 

 was on foot, was later called tufting^ and is still customary 

 in Devon and Somerset. 



The limer was not rewarded with the other hounds ; 

 he received his reward from the hands of his master 

 before or after the other hounds, and after he had bayed 

 the head of the stag. 



When not quoting or translating the old text the 

 more modern spelling of //"mer has been used. 



MADNESS. Old Eng. and Mid. Eng. JVoodness, 

 wodnesse^ and wodnyss ; mad, wode. The seven different 

 sorts of madnesses spoken of by the " Master of Game " 



