134 Appendix B 



nature, and have not so good witte as many o]?er houndes have ; for 

 if a man prik an hors, J^e alaunt wil gladly renne and bite I'e hors; 

 also \>ei renne at oxen, and at sheepe, at swyne, and to alle oj^er 

 beestis, or to men, or to oj^er houndes, for men han seyn alauntz sle 

 here maystire. And in alle maner wise alauntz byn July felle, and 

 evel undirstondyng, and more foolish and more sturdy I'an eny ol^er 

 maner of houndes. And men seyn never Jre wel condicions [condi- 

 ciond] and good, for a good alaunt shuld renne also fast as a grei- 

 hounde, and eny beest J'at he my^t come to he shuld hold wi}> his 

 sesours and noujt leve it, for an alaunt of his nature holdeth faster 

 his biteng J^an should iii greihoundes I'e best l^at eny man may fynde, 

 and }?erfore it is ]>& best hounde for to hold and for [to] nyme al 

 maner beestis, and hold my3tely. And whan he is wel condiciond and 

 perfitly [good], men hold ]?at he is good amonge al oj^er houndes; but 

 men fynden but fewe ]?at doon [rather, byn] pcrfite. A good alaunt 

 shuld love his maistire, and folowe hym, and helpe hym in alle cace; 

 and what J'ing his maister wold hym comaunde he shuld do. A good 

 alaunt shuld goo fast, and be hardy to nyme al maner beestis 

 wij^out turnyng, and hold fast and not leve it, and wel condiciond, 

 and wel at his maistris comaundement; and when he is soche, men 

 hold, as I have saide, J'at he is oon I'e good'^ hounde 1'*^ may be for 

 to take al maner beestis. 



That oj'er [65] nature of alauntz is clepid veutreres. Almost ]>ti 

 bene shapon as a greyhounde of ful shap, [but] '\>&i han grete hedes, 

 and greet lippes, and greet eeris ; and wi]? such men helpe)' hem" 

 at I'e baityng of a boole and atte huntygne of a wilde boor, pei 

 holde fast of here nature, but ]>t\ byn [heavy] and foule, and [jif 

 thei] ben slayn w\]> wilde boor or wij? ])(t bulle, and [om.'\ it is not 

 ful grete losse. And'^ wher ]>&i may overtake a beest, J'ei biten and 

 holden hure stille ; but by hem self J'ei shuld nevyr holde J>e beest, 

 but )\i J'e greihoundes were withe hem, for to make J>e beest tarye.°* 



That oJ>er nature, of alauntz of J>e bocher[i]e, is soch as ye may alle 

 day see in good times [tounes], ]>at byn called greet bochers houndis, 

 J'e which bouchers holde'^ for to helpe hem to bryng here beestis J'at 

 J'ei byn"^ in J'e cuntre; for, ^if an oxe escapid from J'e boochers J'at 

 leden hym, his houndes wold go take hym, and holde hym to'"'^ his 

 master were come, and shuld helpe hym to benynge [brynge] hym 



ton says (p. 86) : 'With almost the strength of a tiger he combines the 

 excitability of a terrier, and no doubt a badly trained Great Dane is a 

 very dangerous animal.' 



''The best. 



" Themselves. 



" A portion untranslated. 



'* Keep. 



■' Buy. 



^ Until. 



