HOW A HUNTER'S HORN SHOULD BE DRIVEN
_There are divers kinds of horns, that is to say bugles, great
Abbot's, hunter's horns, Ruets_ (trumpets), _small Forester's horns
and meaner horns of two kinds. That one kind is waxed with green wax
and greater of sound, and they be best for good hunters, therefore
will I devise how and in what fashion they should be driven. First a
good hunter's horn should be driven of two spans in length, and not
much more nor much less, and not too crooked neither too straight, but
that the flue be three or four fingers uppermore than the head, that
unlearned_[173] _hunters call the great end of the horn. And also that
it be as great and hollow driven as it can for the length, and that it
be shorter on the side of the baldric[174] than at the nether end. And
that the head be as wide as it can be, and always driven smaller and
smaller to the flue, and that it be well waxed thicker or thinner
according as the hunter thinks that it will sound best. And that it be
the length of the horn from the flue to the binding, and also that it
be not too small driven from the binding to the flue, for if it be the
horn will be too mean of sound. As for horns for fewterers[175] and
woodmen, I speak not for every small horn and other mean horn unwaxed
be good enough for them._
[173] Shirley MS.: "lewed," _i.e._ laewed or unlearned (Stratmann).
[174] Baldric, the belt on which the horn was carried.
[175] Fewterer, the man who held the greyhounds in slips or couples.