36 THE MASTER OF GAME 



grease, 1 neither within nor without, nor their 

 heads, wherefore they be much lighter and swifter. 

 But from St. John's into the month of August 

 they wax always more heavy. Their skin is right 

 good for to do many things with when it is well 

 tawed and taken in good season. Harts that 

 be in great hills, when it cometh to rut, some- 

 times they come down into the great forests and 

 heaths and to the launds (uncultivated country) 

 and there they abide all the winter until the 

 entering of April, and then they take to their 

 haunts for to let their heads wax, near the towns 

 and villages in the plains there where they find 

 good feeding in the new growing lands. And 

 when the grass is high and well waxen they with- 

 draw into the greatest hills that they can find for 

 the fair pastures and feeding and fair herbs that 

 be thereupon. And also because there be no flies 

 nor any other vermin, as there be in the plain 

 country. And also so doth the cattle which 

 come down from the hills in winter time, and 

 in the summer time draw to the hills. And all 

 the time from rutting time into Whitsunday 

 great deer and old will be found in the plains, 

 but from Whitsunday 2 to rutting time men shall 

 find but few great deer save upon the hills, if there 



1 See Appendix : Grease. 



a This sentence reads somewhat confusedly in our MS., so 

 I have taken this rendering straight from G. de F., p. 23. 



