io THE MASTER OF GAME 



come to the lair (bed), or to the fues (track), and 

 shall there be uncoupled without any be left 

 coupled, and they shall all run well and hunt, 

 then hath the hunter great joy and great pleasure. 

 Afterwards he leapeth on horseback, if he be of 

 that estate, and else on foot with great haste to 

 follow his hounds. And in case peradventure 

 the hounds shall have gone far from where he 

 uncoupled, he seeketh some advantage to get 

 in front of his hounds. And then shall he see 

 the hart pass before him, and shall holloa and 

 rout mightily, and he shall see which hound come 

 in the van-chase, and in the middle, and which 

 are parfitours, 1 according to the order in which 

 they shall come. And when all the hounds have 

 passed before him then shall he ride after them 

 and shall rout and blow as loud as he may with 

 great joy and great pleasure, and I assure you 

 he thinketh of no other sin or of no other evil. 

 And when the hart be overcome and shall be 

 at bay he shall have pleasure. And after, when 

 the hart is spayed 2 and dead, he undoeth him 

 and maketh his curée and enquireth or rewardeth 

 his hounds, and so he shall have great pleasure, 

 and when he cometh home he cometh joyfully, 

 for his lord hath given him to drink of his good 

 wine at the curée, and when he has come home 



1 See Appendix : Relays. 



2 Despatched with a sword or knife. See Appendix : Spay. 



