2 4 THE MASTER OF GAME 



their language that in England hunters call bellow- 

 ing as man that loveth paramour. 1 They slay 

 hounds and horses and men at that time and 

 turn to the abbay (be at bay) as a boar does 

 especially when they be weary. And yet have 

 men seen at the parting of their ligging (as they 

 start from the lair) 2 that he hath hurt him that 

 followeth after, and also the greyhounds 3 and 

 furthermore a courser. And yet when they are 

 in rut, which is to say their love, in a forest 

 where there be few hinds and many harts or male 

 deer, they slay, hurt and fight with each other, 

 for each would be master of the hinds. And 

 commonly the greatest hart and the most strong 

 holdeth the rut and is master thereof. And when 

 he is well pured and hath been long at rut all 

 the other harts that he hath chased and flemed 

 away (put to flight) from the rut then run upon 

 him and slay him, and that is sooth. And in 

 parks this may be proved, for there is never a 

 season but the greatest hart will be slain by the 

 others not while he is at the rut, but when he 

 has withdrawn and is poor of love. In the woods 

 they do not so often slay each other as they do in 



1 G. de F., p. 12. "Ainsi que fet un homme bien amoureus " 

 ("As does a man much in love)." 



2 This word ligging is still in use in Yorkshire, meaning lair, 

 or bed, or resting-place. In Devonshire it is spelt "layer." 

 Fortescue, p. 132. 



3 G. de F., p. 12, has " limer" instead of "greyhound." 



