THE PROLOGUE n 



he shall doff his clothes and his shoes and his hose, 

 and he shall wash his thighs and his legs, and per- 

 adventure all his body. And in the meanwhile 

 he shall order well his supper, with wortes (roots) 

 and of the neck of the hart and of other good 

 meats, and good wine or ale. And when he hath 

 well eaten and drunk he shall be glad and well, 

 and well at his ease. And then shall he take the 

 air in the evening of the night, for the great heat 

 that he hath had. And then he shall go and 

 drink and lie in his bed in fair fresh clothes, 

 and shall sleep well and steadfastly all the night 

 without any evil thoughts of any sins, wherefore 

 I say that hunters go into Paradise when they die, 

 and live in this world more joyfully than any other 

 men. Yet I will prove to you how hunters live 

 longer than any other men, for as Hippocras 

 the doctor telleth : " full repletion of meat slayeth 

 more men than any sword or knife." They eat 

 and drink less than any other men of this world, 

 for in the morning at the assembly they eat a little, 

 and if they eat well at supper, they will by the 

 morning have corrected their nature, for then they 

 have eaten but little, and their nature will not 

 be prevented from doing her digestion, whereby 

 no wicked humours or superfluities may be en- 

 gendered. And always, when a man is sick, men 

 diet him and give him to drink water made of 

 sugar and tysane and of such things for two or 



