[A] At þe fyrst quethe of þe quest quaked þe wylde;
Der drof in þe dale, doted for drede,
1152 Hi3ed to þe hy3e, bot heterly þay were
[B] Restayed with þe stablye, þat stoutly ascryed;
[C] Þay let þe hertte3 haf þe gate, with þe hy3e hedes,
Þe breme bukke3 also, with hor brode paume3;
1156 For þe fre lorde hade de-fende in fermysoun tyme,
Þat þer schulde no mon mene[1] to þe male dere.
[D] Þe hinde3 were halden in, with hay & war,
Þe does dryuen with gret dyn to þe depe slade3;
1160 Þer my3t mon se, as þay slypte, slentyng of arwes,
[E] At vche [þat] wende vnder wande wapped a flone,
Þat bigly bote on þe broun, with ful brode hede3,
[F] What! þay brayen, & bleden, bi bonkke3 þay de3en.
1164 & ay rachches in a res radly hem fol3es,
Huntere3 wyth hy3e horne hasted hem after,
[G] Wyth such a crakkande kry, as klyffes haden brusten;
What wylde so at-waped wy3es þat schotten,
1168 Wat3 al to-raced & rent, at þe resayt.
Bi þay were tened at þe hy3e, & taysed to þe wattre3,
Þe lede3 were so lerned at þe lo3e trysteres,
& þe gre-hounde3 so grete, þat geten hem bylyue,
1172 & hem to fylched, as fast as freke3 my3t loke,
þer ry3t.
[H] Þe lorde for blys abloy
Ful oft con launce & ly3t,
1176 [I] & drof þat day wyth Ioy
Thus to þe derk ny3t.
[Sidenote A: Roused by the clamour the deer rush to the heights,]
[Sidenote B: but are soon driven back.]
[Sidenote C: The harts and bucks are allowed to pass,]
[Sidenote D: but the hinds and does are driven back to the shades.]
[Sidenote E: As they fly they are shot by the bowmen.]
[Sidenote F: The hounds and the hunters, with a loud cry, follow in
pursuit.]
[Sidenote G: Those that escaped the arrows are killed by the hounds.]
[Sidenote H: The lord waxes joyful in the chase,]
[Sidenote I: which lasted till the approach of night.]
[Footnote 1: meue (?).]