176 THE MASTER OF GAME 



have word that he is gone home, they ought to come 

 again, and do, whoso is greatest master, as the Lord 

 should do, if he were there, and right so should they 

 do to the Master of the Game in the Lord'' s absence. 

 Also if the Lord be there all things should be done 

 of the bay and rewarding as before is said, and 

 then he should charge whom he list to undo the deer, 

 if the hounds shall not be enquyrid thereon, for 

 if they should, there needeth no more but to caboche l 

 his head, all the upper jaw still thereon, and the 

 labelles aforesaid ; and then hold him and lay the 

 skin open, and lay the head at the skirfs end right 

 in front of the shoulders. And when the hounds are 

 thus inquirreide the lymers should have both the 

 shoulders for their rights, and else they should not 

 have but the ears and the brain whereof they should 

 be served, the hart" s head lying under their feet. 

 But on the other hand if the lord will have the deer 

 undone, he that he biddeth as before is said, should 

 undo him most woodmanly and cleanly that he can 

 and wonder ye not that I say woodmanly, for it is a 

 point that belongeth to woodmans craft, though it be 

 well suiting to an hunter to be able to do it. Never- 

 theless it belongeth more to woodmanscraft than to 

 hunters, and therefore as of the manner he should be 

 undone I pass over lightly, for there is no woodman 

 nor good hunter in England that cannot do it well 



1 Cut off the head close behind the antlers. Shirley MS. : 

 " Cabache." 



