HOW THE HART SHOULD BE MOVED WITH THE LYMER AND RUN TO AND SLAIN WITH
STRENGTH
_When the hart is harboured as before is said and they before named
come to the meeting that some men call the assembly, and also the
scantilon,[206] and the fumes well liked by the Lord and Master of the
Game, then shall the Master of the Game choose of the sergeants or of
the yeoman at horse, which of them shall be at the finding, or all, or
some. Nevertheless, if the deer be likely to fall among danger it were
good to assign some of the horsemen among the relays to help more
readily the hounds, if they fall upon the stint,[207] and when the
hunters on horseback be assigned then he must assign which of the
yeomen berners on foot shall be finders, and which hounds he shall
have with him to the finding, and the lymerer and the pages to go with
him. And after that to assign the relays by advice of them that know
the country and the flight of the deer._
[206] Measure of the deer's footprint. In old English, a measure
(Stratmann).
[207] Wrong scent, or check.
_And there where most danger is, there set the readiest hunters and
the best footers with the boldest hounds with them. And at every relay
sufficeth two couple of hounds or three at the most. And see that amid
the relays, somewhat toward the hinder-most relay, especially if it be
in danger, that one of the lymerer's pages be there with one of the
lymers. And the more danger_ (there is) _the older and the readier,
and the most tender nosed hound. And when all is ordained then shall
the Lord and the Master of the Game, if he liketh better to be at the
finding than with a relay, shall go thither where the deer is
harboured, and set ready waits about the quarter of the wood that the
deer is in, to see what cometh out, or to see if the deer that is
harboured would start and steal away ere the lymer moved him. And this
done, then should the Lord and Master of the Game bid the lymerer
bring them there where he marked that the hart went in, and when they
be there the lymerer should take away the boughs he laid over the
trace at the harbouring, and set his lymer in the fues, and then shall
the Lord if he can blow, blow three motes, and after him the Master of
the Game, and after the hunters, as they be greatest in office, that
be at the finding, and then the lymerer. And after that if the lymer
sue boldly and lustily the lymerer shall say to him loud; "Ho moy, ho
moy, hole hole hole." And ever take good heed to his feet, and look
well about him. And as oft as he findeth the fues, or if it be in
thick spires,[208] boughs or branches broken, where the deer hath
walked, he should say aloud--"Cy va--cy va--cy va," and rally with his
horn, and always should the yeoman berner the which is ordained to be
finder, follow the lymer and be as nigh him as he might with the
raches that he leadeth for the finding, and if the lymer as he sueth,
overshoot and be out of the fues, the lymerer should always, till his
hounds be fallen in again, speak to him, calling his name, be it
Loyer, or Beaumont, or Latimer or Bemond according to what the hound
is named, and anon as he falls in again and finds the fues or branches
as before is said he shall say loud, "Cy va" as before and rally and
so forth at every time that he findeth thereof, until that the lymer
move him. Nevertheless I have seen when a lymer sueth long and could
not so soon move him as men would, that they have taken up the lymer
and uncoupled one or two hounds, to have him sooner found, but this
truly no skilful hunter ought to do, unless the lymer cannot put it
forth, nor bring it any further, or that the deer be stirring in the
quarter, and hath not waited for the moving of the lymer. Or else that
it be so far advanced in the day, that the sun hath dried up the fues,
and that they have little day enough to run him and hunt him with
strength. But now to come again to the lymer, it is to wit that when
the lymer_ _hath moved him, if the lymerer can see him he shall blow a
mote,[209] and rechace_ (recheat),[210] _and if the deer be soule_
(alone) _the Berners shall uncouple all the finders, and if he be not
alone two hounds sufficeth till he be separated, and if the lymerer
saw him _(not) _at the moving he should go to his lair and look
thereby whether it be a hart or not, and if he see by the lair or by
the fues that it is the same deer, that he hath sued_ (hunted) _and
alone he should rechase without a long mote, for the mote should never
be blown before the rechasing,[211] unless a man seeth that which he
hunteth for. And then the Berner should do as I have said before, and
if he be not alone the Berner should do as above is said, for it is to
wit that the mote before rechasing_ (recheating) _shall never be blown
but when a man seeth what he hunteth for, as I have said. Now
furthermore, when the hart is moved and the finders cast off, then
should the lymerer take up his hounds and follow after, and foot it in
the best wise that he can. And the Berner also and every horseman go
that can go, so that they come not into the fues_ (across the line)
_nor in front of the hounds, and shape_ (their course) _as often as
they can to meet him. And as often as any man see him or meet him, he
should go to the fues and blow a mote and rechace and then holloa to
the hounds to come forth withall, and this done, speed him fast in the
manner that I have said to meet with him again. And the relay that he_
(the hart) _cometh to first should take good heed that he
vauntlay[212] not, if other relays be behind for dread of bending out
from the relay. But he should let the deer pass and go to the fues,
and there blow a mote, and rechace and rally upon the fues. And the
hunter ought to be advised that his hounds catch it _(the scent) _well
in couple, ere he relay, that they run not counter.[213] For that
might make the hounds that come therewith and the hunters to be on a
stynt _(at fault), _and peradventure not recover it all the day after.
And if it so be that the hunter that hath relayed, see that the deer
be likely to fall into danger, that is to say among other deer, and
else it needeth not, he should when he hath relayed stand still in the
fues, and holloa the hounds that come forth therewith and take up the
hindermost, and if it be in a park go stand again with them at his
place, and if it be out of park in a forest or other wood follow after
as well as he is able. And in this wise ought every relay to do till
he come among the back relays. For if they at the back see by the
spreading of the clees_ (claws) _by setting fast and deep his ergots_
(dew claws) _in the earth, and if they see him also cast his
chaule,[214] then they ought to vauntlay for advantage of the hounds,
for so shall they sooner have him at bay, and from then he is but dead
if the hunters serve aright the hounds. Nevertheless men have seen at
the first finding or soon after, deer turn the head_ (to bay), _and
oftenest in rutting time, but I mean not of deer that turneth so to
bay, but I mean of hunted deer when men have seen of them the tokens
said before that he stand at bay. And if it be so that the hounds have
envoised[215] or have overshot, or that they be on a stynt by any
other ways, those hunters on horseback or on foot to whom belongs the
right, first should blow the stynt as I shall devise in a chapter that
shall be of all blowing.[216] And after that he should fall before the
hounds as soon as he can and take them up, and if so be that they have
envoysed two deer of antler[217] they should not be rated badly, but
get in front off them and take them off in the fairest way that men
can. And if they run ought else they should be got in front of and
rated and well lashed. And what hounds they may get up, bring them to
the next rights_ (right line) _if they know where, or else there where
he_ (the hart) _was last seen. And if it be great danger they ought to
blow a mote for the lymer and let him sue till he hath retrieved him
or else till he hath brought him out of danger. And as oft as he
findeth or seeth that he is in the rights the lymerer should say loud,
"Cy va" twice or thrice--and recheat, and so should the hunters as oft
as they lust to blow. And if the lymer overshoot or cannot put it
forth, every hunter that is there ought to go some deal abroad for to
see if he may find the rights by vesteying_ (searching) _thereof. And
whoso may find it before the lymer be fallen in again, he should
recheat in the rights, and blow after that a mote for the lymer and
sue forth as is said before. And if the lymer gave it up, and cannot
and will not do his devoire_ (duty), _then should they blow two motes
for the raches and cast them off there where they were last in the
rights. And if the hunters hear that the hounds run well and put it
lustily forth they should rout and jopey[218] to them lustily and
often and recheat also. And if there be but one hound that undertaketh
it lustily they shall hue and jopey to him, and also recheat. As oft
as they be on a stynt they should blow the stynt and do as before is
said. And if any of the aforesaid hounds retrieve him so that men may
know and hear it by the doubling of their menee,[219] but if they hear
any hunter above them that hath met_ (the deer) _that bloweth the
rights and holloaeth else_ (where) _they should haste them thither
where they thought the hounds retrieved it; or else to meet with the
hounds for to see the fues whether it be the hunted deer or not. And
if it is not he, they should do as above is said when they be on a
stynt, and if it be he every man shall speed him that speed may, and
every relay do as before is said. And if any of the hunters happen
while they be on a stynt to see a hart that he thinketh to be the
hunted deer he ought to blow a mote and recheat and after that blow
two motes for the hounds and stand still before the fues till the
Berner with the hounds do come. And if they suppose that they may not
hear him he should draw to them till they have heard him. And when any
of the Berners or the lymerer hear a man blow for them, they should
answer blowing in this wise in their horn: "trut trut trut," but he
should know readily by the fues after the tokens that have been said
before, whether it be the hunted deer or not. And in the same wise
shall a hunter do that findeth an hart quat_ (couched), _and he
thinketh it to be the hunted deer, and he sees that his fellows and
the hounds be on a stynt, he should well beware that he blow not too
nigh him, lest he start, and go away, before the hounds come.
Nevertheless for to wit whether it be the hunted deer or no, the
tokens have been rehearsed before--and when he hath been so well run
to and enchased and retrieved, and so oft relayed and vauntelayed to,
and that he seeth that_ (neither) _by beating up the rivers nor brooks
nor foiling him down, nor going to soil, nor rusing to and fro upon
himself, which is to say in his own fues, can help him, then turns he
his head and standeth at bay. And then as far as it may be heard every
man draweth thither, and the knowing thereof is that the hunter that
cometh first, and the hunters_ (one) _after the other they holloa all
together, and blow a mote and rechace all at once. And that they never
do but when he is at bay or when bay is made for the hounds, after he
is dead, when they should be rewarded or enquerreyde.[220] And when
the hunters that held the relays be there, or that they be nigh the
bay, they should pull off the couples from the hounds' necks and let
them draw thither. And the hunters should break the bay as often as
they can for two causes; the one lest he _(the stag) _hurt the hounds,
if he stand and rest long in one place; another is that the relays
that stand far can come up with their hounds the while he is alive,
and be at the death. And it is to be known that if any of the hunters
have been at any time while the deer hath been run to out of hearing
of hound and horn, he should have blown the forloyne,[221] unless he
were in a park, for there it should never be blown. And whoso first
heard him so blow should blow again to him the "perfect,"[222] if it
so be that he were in his rights, and else not. For by that shall he
be brought to readiness and comfort who before did not know where the
game or any of his fellows were. And when it so is, that they have
thought that the bay has lasted long enough, then should he whoso be
the most master bid some of the hunters go spay[223] him behind the
shoulder forward to the heart. But the lymerer should let slip the
rope while he_ (the deer) _stood on his feet, and let the lymer go to_
(him), _for by right the lymer should never_ (go) _out of the rope,
though he_ (be let) _slip from ever so far. And when the deer is dead,
and lieth on one side then first it is time to blow the death, for it
should never be blown at hart hunting till the deer be on its side.
And then should the hounds be coupled up and as fast as a man can. One
of the Berners should encorne him, that is to say turn his horns
earthwards and the throat upwards, and slit the skin of the throat all
along the neck, and cut labelles_ (small flaps) _on either side of the
skin, the which shall hang still upon the head, for this belongeth to
an hart slain with strength, and else not. And then should the hunter
flay down the skin as far as he can, and then with a sharp trencher
cut as thick as he can the flesh down to the neck bone, and this done
every man stand abroad and blow the death, and make short bay for to
reward the hounds. And every man_ (shall) _have a small rod in his
hand to hold the hounds that they should the better bay and every man
blow the death that can blow. And as oft as any hunter beginneth to
blow every man shall blow for the death to make the better noise, and
make the hounds better know the horns and the bay, and when they have
bayed a while let the hounds come to eat the flesh, to the hard bone
from in front of the shoulders right to the head, for that is their
reward of right. And then take them off fair and couple them up again.
And then bring to the lymers and serve each by himself, and then
should the Lord if he list or else the Master of the Game, or if he be
absent whoso is greatest of the hunters, blow the prise at coupling
up, and that should be blown only of the aforesaid, and by no others.
Nevertheless it is to wit that if the Lord be not come soon enough to
the bay, while the deer is alive they ought to hold the bay as long as
they can, without rebuking the hounds, to await the Lord, and if the
Lord remains away too long, when the deer is spayed and laid on one
side, before they do ought else, the Master of the Game, or which of
the horsemen that be there at the death, should mount their horses and
every man draw his way blowing the death till one of them hath met
with him, or heard of him, and brought him thither. And if they cannot
meet with him, and that they 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[224] 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 skin's 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 woodmanscraft, though
it be well suiting to an hunter to be able to do it. Nevertheless 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 enough, and
well better than I can tell them. Nevertheless when so is that the
paunch is taken out clean and whole and the small guts, one of the
groom chacechiens should take the paunch and go to the next water
withal, and slit it, and cast out the filth and wash it clean, that no
filth abide therein. And then bring it again and cut it in small
gobetts in the blood that should be kept in the skin and the lungs
withal, if they be hot and else not, and all the small guts withal,
and bread broken therein according whether the hounds be few or many,
and all this turned and meddled together among the blood till it be
well brewed in the blood, and then look for a small green, and thither
bear all this upon the skin with as much blood as can be saved, and
there lay it, and spread the skin thereupon, the hair side upward, and
lay the head, the visage, forward at the neck end of the skin. And
then the lord shall go take a fair small rod in his hand, the which
one of the yeomen or of the grooms should cut for him, and the Master
of the Game and other, and the sergeants, and each of the yeomen on
horse, and others, and then the Lord should take up the hart's head by
the right side between the surroyal and the fork or troche whichever
it be that he bear, and the Master of the Game, the left side in the
same wise, and hold the head upright that the nose touch the earth.
And then every man that is there, save the berners on foot and the
chacechiens and the lymerers which should be with their hounds and
wait upon them in a fair green where there is a cool shadow, should
stand in front on either side of the head, with rods, that no hound
come about, nor on the sides, but that all stand in front. And when it
is ready the Master of the Game or the sergeant should bid the berners
bring forth their hounds and stand still in front of them a small
quoit's cast from thence, as the bay is ordained. And when they be
there the Master of the Game or sergeant should cry skilfully loud:
"Devour" and then holloa every wight, and every hunter blow the death.
And when the hounds be come and bay the head, the Berners should pull
off the couples as fast as they can. And when the Lord thinketh the
bay hath lasted long enough, the Master of the Game should pull away
the head and anon others should be ready to pull away the skin and let
the hounds come to the reward, and then should the Lord and Master of
the Game, and all the hunters stand around all about the reward, and
blow the death. As oft as any of them begin every man bear him
fellowship till the hounds be well rewarded, and that they have nought
left. And right thus should be done when the hounds should be
enquyrreied of the whole deer. And when there is nought left then
should the Lord, if he wishes, or else the Master of the Game or in
his absence whoso is greatest next him, stroke_ (blow) _in this wise,
that is to say blow four motes and stynt_ (stop) _not_ (for the time
of) _half an Ave Maria and then blow other four motes a little longer
than the first four motes. And thus should no wight stroke, but when
the hart is slain with strength, and when one of the aforesaid hath
thus blown then should the grooms couple up the hounds and draw
homewards fair and soft. And all the rest of the hunters should stroke
in this wise: "Trut, trut, tro-ro-row, tro-ro-row," and four motes all
of one length not too long and not too short. And otherwise should no
hart hunter stroke from thenceforth till they go to bed. And thus
should the Berners on foot and the grooms lead home the hounds and
send in front that the kennel be clean and the trough filled with
clean water, and their couch renewed with fresh straw. And the Master
of the Game and the sergeant and the yeoman at horse should come home
and blow the menee at the hall door or at the cellar door as I shall
devise. First the master, or whoso is greatest next him, shall begin
and blow three motes[225] alone, and at the first mote[226] the
remnant of the aforesaid should blow with him, and beware that none
blow longer than another, and after the three motes even forthwith
they should blow the recoupling as thus: "Trut, trut, trororo rout,"
and that they be advised that from the time they fall in to blow
together, that none of them begin before_ (the) _other nor end after_
(the) _other. And if it be the first hart slain with strength in the
season, or the last, the sergeant and the yeoman shall go on their
office's behalf and ask their fees of the which I report me to the old
statutes and customs of the King's house. And this done the Master of
the Game ought to speak to the officers that all the hunters' suppers
be well ordained, and that they drink not ale, and nothing but wine
that night for the good and great labour they have had for the Lord's
game and disport, and for the exploit and making of the hounds. And
also that they may the more merrily and gladly tell what each of them
hath done all the day and which hounds have best run and boldest._
[208] Shoots, fresh-growing young wood.
[209] A long note.
[210] Recheat, a hunting signal on the horn.
[211] Recheating. See Appendix: Hunting-Music.
[212] Vauntlay, to cast off the relay before the hounds already
hunting have passed. See Appendix: Relays.
[213] Do not hunt heel: _contre_, counter.
[214] Drop his jaw. (?)
[215] Gone off the right line.
[216] This chapter does not exist.
[217] If the hounds have gone away after two stags.
[218] Call to the hounds encouragingly.
[219] Shirley MS.: "doubling of their mouths," from the Fr. _menee_.
See Appendix: Menee.
[220] See Appendix: Curée.
[221] A horn signal denoting that the chase is being followed at a
distance by those who blow. From the Fr. _fortloin_, written forlonge.
See Appendix: Forlonge.
[222] A note sounded only by those who are on the right line.
[223] To kill with a sword or hunting knife. See Appendix: Spay.
[224] Cut off the head close behind the antlers. Shirley MS.:
"Cabache."
[225] Shirley MS. says four notes.
[226] Should read: "at the last moot."