134 * Appendix B 



nature, and have not so good witte as many oj^er houndes have; for 

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

 also I?ei renne at oxen, and at sheepe, at swyne, and to alle o>er 

 beestis, or to men, or to o]>eT 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 l>an eny o}>er 

 maner of houndes. And men seyn never ]?re wel condicions [condi- 

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

 hounde, and eny beest l?at he myjt come to he shuld hold wil? his 

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

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

 and l^erfore it is J?e best hounde for to hold and for [to] nyme al 

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

 perfitly [good], men hold )jat he is good amonge al ojjer houndes; but 

 men fynden but fewe )>at doon [rather, byn] perfite. A good alaunt 

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

 and what l?ing his maister wold hym comaunde he shuld do. A good 

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

 wijjout 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, }?at he is oon J>e good""^ hounde \>^ may be for 

 to take al maner beestis. 



That ol^er [65] nature of alauntz is clepid veutreres. Almost l^ei 

 bene shapon as a greyhounde of ful shap, [but] ]>ei han grete hedes, 

 and greet lippes, and greet eeris; and wij? such men helpel? hem" 

 at ]?e baityng of a boole and atte huntygne of a wilde boor, pei 

 holde fast of here nature, but J^ei byn [heavy] and foule, and [jif 

 thei] ben slayn wi{> wilde boor or wi\> ]>e bulle, and [om.] it is not 

 ful grete losse. And" wher J^ei may overtake a beest, J>ei biten and 

 holden hure stille; but by hem self ]?ei shuld nevyr holde ]>e. beest, 

 but jif ]>e greihoundes were withe hem, for to make ]>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 backers houndis, 

 ]>e which bouchers holde^* for to helpe hem to bryng here beestis J>at 

 I'ei byn^ in J^e cuntre; for, jif an oxe escapid from J?e boochers I?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. 



