HOW AN HUNTER SHOULD SEEK AND FIND THE HARE WITH RUNNING HOUNDS AND
SLAY HER WITH STRENGTH
_Ere I speak how the hare should be hunted, it is to be known that the
hare is king of all venery, for all blowing and the fair terms of
hunting cometh of the seeking and the finding of the hare. For certain
it is the most marvellous beast that is, for ever she fumeth or
croteth and roungeth and beareth tallow and grease. And though men say
that she fumeth inasmuch as she beareth tallow, yet that which cometh
from her is not called fumes but croteys. And she hath teeth above in
the same wise as beneath. It is also to be known that the hare is at
one time male and another time female. When she is female sometimes
she kindles in three degrees, two rough, two smooth and two knots that
afterwards should be kindles, but this happeneth but seldom. Now for
to speak of the hare how he shall be sought and found and chased with
hounds. It is to be known what the first word_ (should be) _that the
hunter should speak to his hounds when he lets them out of the kennel.
When the door is opened he shall say loud: "Ho ho arere,"[227]
because that his hounds will come out too hastily. And when he
uncoupleth his hounds, he shall say to them when he comes into the
field: "Sto mon amy sto atrete," but when he is come forth into the
field he shall blow three motes and uncouple the hounds, then he shall
speak twice to his hounds in this wise, "Hors de couple, avaunt cy
avaunt"[228] and then he shall say thrice "So how" and no more;
afterward he shall say loud "Sa say cy avaunt" and then "Sa cy avaunt,
sa cy avaunt so how," and if he see the hounds draw fast from him and
would fain run, he shall say thus to them here: "How amy--how amy,"
and then shall he say "Swe mon famy swef"[229] for to make them go
softly, and between always blow three motes. And if any of his hounds
find and own to the hare where he hath been, he shall say to them in
this wise: "Oyez a Beaumont le vaillant," or what the hound is called.
And if he seeth that the hare hath been at pasture in green corn or in
any other place and his hounds find of her and that they fall well in
enquest[230]_ (hunt) _and chase it well, then he shall say "La Douce,
la il a este"[231] and therewith "So howe" with a high voice, and if
his hounds chase not well at his pleasure and they grede_ (hunt)
_there where he has not pastured, then shall he say "Illeoqs
illeoqs"[232] in the same place while they seek her. And then he
should cast and look about the field, to see where she hath been and
whether she hath pastured or not, or whether she be in her form, for
she does not like to remain where she hath pastured except in time of
relief. If any hounds scent her, and she hath gone from thence to
another place, he shall say thus to his hounds as loud as he can: "Ha
cy douce cy et venuz arere, so howe."[233] And if he see that she be
gone to the plain or the field or to arable land or into the wood, if
his hounds get well on her scent, then he shall say: "La douce amy, il
ad est illeoqs"[234] and therewith he shall say: "so-how illeoqs, sy
douce cy vayllant"[235] and twice "so-howe," and when he is come there
where he supposeth the hare dwells then shall he say thus: "La douce
la est il venuz" and therewith thrice "so-howe" and no more. And if he
thinks he is sure to find her in any place then he shall say: "La
douce how-here, how-here, how-here, how-here, douce how-here
how-here," and when she is found and started he shall blow a mote and
rechase[236] and holloa as often as he wishes and then say loud:
"Oyez! a Beaumond" or what the hound is named, "le vailaunt oyez,
oyez, oyez, who-bo-lowe," and then "Avaunte assemble, avaunte." And
then should the horsemen keep well to one side and some way to the
front with long rods in their hands to meet with her, and so blowe a
mote and rechace and holloa and set the hounds in the rights if they
see her, and also for to prevent any hound following sheep, or other
beasts, and if they do to ascrie_ (rate) _them sorely and dismount and
take them up and lash them well, saying loud "Ware ware ha ha ware"
and lash them back to their fellows, and if it happens that the hare
be seated in her form in front of the hounds, and that they cannot
find her as soon as they would, then shall he say: "How-sa amy sa sa
acouplere, sa arere, so-how," but not_ (blow) _the stynt too soon. And
if he seeth that his hounds cannot put her up as soon as he would,
then shall he blow the stynt, and say loud: "ho ho ore swef a la
douce, a lui, a lui, so how assamy, assamy, la arere so-howe, venez
acouplere," and thus as oft as the aforesaid case happeneth. And as
oft as any hound catcheth it_ (the scent) _he should hue to him by his
name, and rout him to his fellows as before is said, but not rechace
till the hare be found, or that some man meet it and blow the rights
and holloa, or else that he findeth her pointing or pricking whichever
it be, for both mean the same, but some call it the one and some the
other. And if he find that he can well blow the rights and holloa and
jopey three or four times and cry loud "le voy, le voy," till the
hounds come thither and have well caught it. And_ (when) _she is
retrieved blow and holloa and rout to the hounds as it is said you
should do at the finding, and follow after and foot it who can foot
it. And if it happen when men hunt her and hounds chase her that she
squat anywhere before the hounds, and that any hunter find her
squatting, if the hounds be nigh about, he should blow a mote and
rechace and start her, and then halloa and rout to them as above is
said. And if he find her squat, and the hounds be far from him, then
should he blow as I last said before, and after two motes for the
hounds, and the berners that hear him should answer him thus "trut,
trut, trut" and draw all towards him with the hounds as fast as they
can, saying to their hounds: "so-how, mon amy, so-howe." And when they
be there and the hounds have all come up, they should check them with
one of their rods, and when she is started, blow, holloa and rout as
before is said, and according to what the case requireth, do as before
is said and devised. And when she hath been well chased and well
retrieved, notwithstanding her rusing and squatting and reseating, so
that by strength at last she is bitten by the hounds, whoso is nearest
should start to take her whole from them, and hold her in his one hand
over his head high, and blow the death that men may gather thither,
and when they be come, then should she be stripped, all save the head,
and the gall and the paunch cast away, and the remnant should be laid
on a great staff or on a board, whoso hath it, or on the earth, and
then it should be chopped as small as it can be, so that it hang
together; and when it is so done then should one of the berners take
it up with the head and hold it as high as he is able in his hands,
and then whoso is most master, blow the death, and anon as he
beginneth every man help and holloa. And when the hounds have bayed,
as long as is wished by the aforesaid most master, then should the
berner pull as high as he can every piece from the other and cast to
every hound his reward. And then should the most master blow a mote
and stroke, if so be that he thinks that the hounds have done enough,
and else he should rest awhile, if the hounds be hot, till they be
cooled, and then led to the water to lap. And then if he wish blow
three motes and uncouple and speak and so do as before is said. And if
they will seek a covert for the hare and set greyhounds without, they
should blow and seek and speak in the manner as before is said, save
that if the hounds find anything what so ever it be, he shall rally
and jopey till he has seen it, or that he knows what it is (and if it
be an hare do as above is said),[237] and if it be ought else he shall
blow drawing with his horn and cry loud "So-how mon amy, so-how, sto
arere, so-how, so-howe," and seek forthwith again with three long
motes till the hare be found. Yet nevertheless if they be hart-hunters
that seek a covert for the hare, and their hounds find a fox, whoso
meeteth with him should blow out upon him to warn the fewterers[238]
that there is a thief in the wood. And if they run at the hare and the
hare happen to come out to the greyhounds in front of the raches and
be killed, the fewterer that let run should blow the death and keep it
as whole as he may till the hunters be come, and then should they
reward the hounds as before is said._
[227] "Back there!" from the Fr. _arrière_.
[228] "Out of couples, forward there, forward!" (Precisely the same
instructions are given by the later Twety and Gyfford.)
[229] "Gently, my friend, gently!"
[230] Quest, hunt, seek, also challenge.
[231] "Softly, there he has been!"
[232] "In this place," or "here, here." This passage, which reads
somewhat confusedly in our MS., is clearer in Twety and Gyfford
(_Reliquiæ Antiquæ_, vol. i. p. 149). It reads as follows: "And then
ye shall blowe iij notes, yf yowr hund ne chace not well hym, there
one ther another, as he hath pasturyd hym, ye shall say _'Illeosque,
illeosque, illeosque_,'" meaning that 3 motes should be blown where
the hare has pastured to bring your hounds to the place, _illeosque_
meaning here, in this place.
[233] "Softly there, here she has been, back there." Following this
the Shirley MS. and Twety and Gyfford contain a passage which our MS.
has not got: "And thenne _sa cy, a este sohow_, and afterwards _sa cy
avaunt_."
[234] "Softly, my friend, she has been here."
[235] "Here gently, here valiantly."
[236] To call back the hounds from a wrong scent, the same as
"recheat."
[237] The words in brackets are in the Shirley MS.
[238] Huntsman holding hounds in leash.
[Illustration: HARE-HUNTING WITH GREYHOUNDS AND RUNNING HOUNDS (From
MS. f. fr. 616, _Bib. Nat._, Paris)]
[Illustration: HARE-DRIVING WITH LOW BELLS (From MS. f. fr. 616, _Bib.
Nat._, Paris)]
[Illustration: NETTING HARES IN THEIR "MUSES" (From MS. f. fr. 616,
_Bib. Nat._, Paris)]