198 THE MASTER OF GAME 



and make merry. And of the fees it is to be known 

 that the man whoever he be, who has smitten a deer 

 while -posted at his tree with a death-stroke so that 

 the deer be got before the sun goes down, he shall 

 have the skin. And if he be not posted or has gone 

 from his tree, or has done otherwise than is said, he 

 shall have none. And as of the fewterers, if they 

 be posted, the first teaser and receiver 1 that draweth 

 the deer down shall divide the skin. 2 Nevertheless 

 in other lord's hunting whoso pincheth first and 

 goeth therewith to the death he shall have the 

 skin. And all the deer's necks are the hunters, and 

 one shoulder and the chine is his that undoeth the 

 deer, and the other shoulder is the forester's or the 

 parker's fee that keepeth the bailie that is hunted. 

 And all the skins of harts slain with strength of the 

 hart-hounds, belong to the master of the hart-hounds 

 as his fee, that is to say he that hath the wages of 

 twelve pence a day for the office. It is to be known 

 that when the king hunteth in the park or in the 

 forest with bows and greyhounds, and it happens 

 that any hart be slain with strength of hart-hounds, 

 all the hart hunters after the King or the Master of 

 his Game have blown a mote and stroked, all day 

 they should stroke the assise that belongeth to the 



1 Shirley MS. has " resteynour." 



2 This means that the men in whose charge the teasers and 

 receivers were placed were given the skin or fee. 



