THE PROLOGUE 9 



heareth the song of the small birds, the which 

 sing so sweetly with great melody and full of love, 

 each in it's own language in the best wise that 

 it can according that it learneth of it's own kind. 

 And when the sun is arisen, he shall see fresh dew 

 upon the small twigs and grasses, and the sun by 

 his virtue shall make them shine. And that is 

 great joy and liking to the hunter's heart. After 

 when he shall go to his quest or searching, he shall 

 see or meet anon with the hart without great seek- 

 ing, and shall harbour 1 him well and readily within 

 a little compass. It is great joy and liking to the 

 hunter. And after when he shall come to the 

 assembly or gathering, and he shall report before 

 the Lord and his company that which he hath seen 

 with his eyes, or by scantilon (measure) of the 

 trace (slot) which he ought always of right to 

 take, or by the fumes 2 (excrements) that he shall 

 put in his horn or in his lap. And every man shall 

 say : Lo, here is a great hart and a deer of high 

 meating or pasturing ; go we and move him ; the 

 which things I shall declare hereafter, then can 

 one say that the hunter has great joy. When he 

 beginneth to hunt and he hath hunted but a little 

 and he shall hear or see the hart start before 

 him and shall well know that it is the right one, 

 and his hounds that shall this day be finders, shall 



1 Trace the deer to its lair. 



2 See Appendix : Excrements. 



