|b{The_Art_of_Hunting
|b_William_Twiti
|b_d._Bror_Danielsson
|b_(1977,_Stockholm:_Almqvist_&_Widsell_International),_pp.40-58.}



|p40


     |r[f.37r] [Ici comence le art de venerie le quel mestre Guyllame Twiti, venour le
     Roy d'Engletere, fist en son temps pur aprendre autres. Touz ceus qe
     voelent de venerye aprendre, joe les aprendray ausi cum joe ay apris
|r5  devaunt ces houres.]
     [INCIPIT TWETY: Tylle alle tho at wyl of venery lere Y shall hem
     teche as Y haue lernyd of maystris that is disputyd and endyd, that is for
     to say maystere John Gyfford and William Twety at were wyth Kyng
     Edward the Secunde.]
     
|r10 [OF THE HARE]
     
     Now we will begynne at the hare.
     And wherefore [Sire, volez vous comencer] at the hare raer en at eny
     oer best? [Joe vous dirray:] For why it is e most merueylous beste at
     is in is lond. And wherfore?
|r15 For as miche as he berie grese and crotyth and rongith, and so doe no
     beste in is land but he. And somme tyme he is male and summe female,
     and for at cause a man may not blowe meene of hym as men don of oer
     bestes, [that is to say at herte, at boor, and at wolf. If it be alway male,
     cum il est a la fiez madle e a la fiez femele, hom poeit corneer menee
|r20 de ly ausy cum des autres bestes, cum de cerf e de sengler e de lou.
     But it [is] to wete at all e fayre wordis of venery ryseth of hire, when ye
     hym shul seke, [la sunt les beles paroles]. But he is enchased.
     
     [OF QWESTIONES]
     
     Syr, how many bestis bue enchased?
|r25 IIII, the hert, e hare, e [bore], e wolfe.
     Syre, how mony ben encoylid?
     The buk, e do, e fox male and female and [alle] oer vermyne, [as many
     as be put in the book].
     Syrre, of how many bestes schall a man so blowe mene?
|r30 [Vous devez corneer menee] of III male and one female, at is to sey of



|p42
     e hert, of e wolfe male and female, and of e bore [clepped singuler].
     Why clepe ye borre syinguler?
     For he is e furst ere a pigge, e while he sokye his dame, and when
     [h]is dame hae left hym, en is he called al at ere suklyng [e tut
|r35 l'an aprs], e whiche is called yn frenche sorayne. The IIIde ere
     they ben called hogastrys. And when he is of age of IIII ere he schall
     departyn out of compayne by kynde of age and schal gone alone. And
     when he is [party hors de la soundre qe il va] alone, he schall en
     be called synguler for e causes fore seid.
|r40 How mony bestis bee [rered] of [lymer]?
     [And how many des bestes sunt mez de lymer e quanz de bestes sunt
     trovez des braches?]
     Alle o at ben enchased [sunt mez de lymer] , and all o at bene
     atyslyd ben founden of [braches].

|r45 [OF WHECHE BESTYS SHAL BE STREPID AND WHICH FLAYN]

     Syre, how many bestes berie hides and how mony skynnes?
     Alle o bestes at ben enscorgid, [at is to say the skyn flayn], schullyn bere
     hydes, and all o at ben arasid, [that is to say the skyn pullyd ovyr the
     hed], beryn skynnes.
|r50 [How many bestis be escorches and how many arracies? Alle the bestis
     that beryth suet and fime ben escorches, and alle that bere grece and
     freyn be arracies.]
     Syre, how mony bestis beryn fyens and how mony beryn foyne?
     Alle o bestes at berie suet beryn foyne, and all o at berie gres
|r55 berie fyens, out-take hym at whas named at e furst, for why he berithe
     gres and crotith and no fyens.
     [And the tyme of grece begynnyth alle way atte the fest of the Natiuyte
     of Saynt John Baptist.]
     Syre, how mony bestes beryn bon and how many argos?
|r60 e hert berithe bon, and a e [bore], and e buc argos.

     [OF THE HARE HUNTYNG]

     HARE Syre, how will e seche e hare?
     Y schall blowen at e furst III motes, and aftur Y schall let myne hounde



|p44


     |r[f.37v] // out of coupull, and Y schall sey to hem "Auaunt, syre, auaunt!" and
     afturward III tymes "So howe!" al in heyth, and Y schall blow alwey
     VI motes by-twyx myn spekyng tyl e hare be meuyd. And aftur I schall
     sey "Cha, cha, sy auaunt, a ha ha, sy, dons, sy!" And yf e sen at oure
 |r5 hounde hau luste and grete wille for to renne and aloyne hem fro you, e
     schall sey us "Howe, amy, howe, venes y, moun amy, venes y!" And
     yf e sen at any hounde fynde alonlyche of hyr, and he hae a name as
     Recher or Bemound, e schull sey us "Oyez, a Bemound le vaylaunt, qui
     quide trouer leuere coward ou le court coue!" and so for to draw all oer
|r10 hounde to hym.
     And yf at e sen at oure hounde enchasyn [not wel] for hyr, thanne it
     is for to seyn her on and er on [as he hath pasturyd hym], ye shull say
     "Illeosque, illeosque, illeosque!" [And if ye se that [he] hath be ere at
     pasture] yf it be in [tyme of] grene corne or it be in pasture, [and you
|r15 fynde wel of hym], en schalt sey "La, dons, la il est venu pur ly pestr[e]!"
     and "So howe!" alwey at e last of youre worde, [and than ye shull blowe
     III motes alwey whan they fynde wele of hym]. And [en] ou schalt cast
     fore aseyne about e feld of grene corne [for to se] yf he be gon into the
     pasture [or] to hys forme, for why he syttie not bletheliche er he
|r20 fedie hym, but it be in tyme of releuyng hym. And yf any hound fynd of
     hur [or ony mysyng] er sche is passed out, en ou schall sey "Cha,
     cha, sy ad est!" and "Sohouwe, a ha ha, sy, vaylaunt, sy, sy, dons, sy!"
     And [yf] he come more forthe on pleyn feld or arabill land [or in wode],
     and youre hounde se[c]hen of hur, e schull seyn "La, dons, la il est
|r25 venu pur luy secher!" and "[Illeosque, sy, douce amy, sy, valaunt,
     sohow], sohowe!" When e com in oer place er e supposyn at e
     schull fynd hur, and oure hounde fynde well of hur, e schull seyn
     "A ha ha, [douce amy], sy est il venu pur mendre!" and "Sohowe!"
     [And en whan they ensemble wele [to] fote hym, and they trowe wele
|r30 to fynde hym, ye shul saye "Here, how, here, douce, how, here, pur les
     saus de luy!"]



|p46


     When he is stert, ou schalt rechace apon yn hounde III tyme, and
     apon e defaut ou schalt make III asseinys, at on schall be vnder wynd,
     at oer ayens e wynd, e III half an arpent al about. And ou schalt sey
     |r[f.38r] to y hounde us "Sou, assein, ha s[c]y ho ho, // assein, amy, huy, ho
     ho!", and en blow nyne schort motes at III tymes.
     When e hare is take, [and your houndes haue ronne wele to hym, ye shul
     blowe prise and] ou schalt yue to yn hounde e hallowe.
 |r5 Syr, what is e hallowe?
     e hallow is e necke, e hed, e schuldre, and e side, and e luynes
     schall dwell to e kychynn. And ou schalt blow e prise homward. And
     well e wytten at all feyre worde of venery risen of e hare, and erfore
     sche is chef of venery.

|r10 [OF THE HERT]

     HERT Now gow we to the hert and speke of hym in hys degre[s]! It is
     for to wyt, e furst ere he is a calf, e second ere a broket, e III ere
     espayard, e IV ere soure, e V ere grete soure, e VI ere a hert of e
     furst hed.
|r15 [Ore, Sire veneour, quei avera il de teste] when [il sunt] of e furst hed?
     at fallie not in e iugement of e hunter for e gret diuersite foundyn
     in hym, but alwey we schull call hym of the furst hed til he haue X de
     mayndrys.
     How many braunche schall e hert haue when he is of e furst hed?
|r20 Furst it behouee at he haue perche, aftur auntulere, and reall, and
     sureal, and furch of boe syde of e hed, and en he is hert of X de
     mayndris.
     [And when he hathe auntilor e real e souzreal e fourche on the one syde
     and troched on that oer syde, than is he an hert of X and of the more.]
|r25 And when he hae all at Y haue mened before, [[so] that he hath troched
     on boothe parties of the hed, he is of XII and of that lasse. And if it be] so
     he haue e troche on e ton syde of III, and e oer of IV, en is he of
     [XII] de greynders. And when he is trochid at on side of IV, the other
     side of V, en is he of [XVI] [of defauute]. And when he is trochid on
|r30 boe e side [V], en is he of [XVI] de gr[e]ynders. For it may not be of
     XIV, for among a gyde of hertes ou schalt [not] fynd two acordant to
     [XIV]. When he trochie on at on side of V and on e oer side of VI, he



|p48


     is of [XVIII of defaute]. And so it goe fore encresyng til it be of XXXII,
     and en he is clepid cerfy resigne and schall go [arrere].
|r35 Syr, wherfore clepe e e hert resigne of hed?
     For as miche as he is resigne of hed, for whi [h]is hed wexie no more. And
     |r[f.38v] yf at e here eny man sey at he hae sen an hert of // mo braunches en
     Y haue told you [de acrees natureel de XXXII aunz] , boldliche answere
     hym at i[t] was neuer hert of is land.
     [Ore, Sire venour, est ceste aprise certeyne de toutz manere cerfs?
 |r5 Respouns: Sire, nanyl, mes de cerfs qe sunt de bone pasture, car la teste
     li crest solum sa pasture, bone ou autre.]

     [OF BLOWYNG]

     Syre huntere, how will e blow when e hert is meuyd and stert and is out
     of our sit?
|r10 I schall blow aftur [la moete] II motes, and yf myn hounde com nout to
     my will as hastliche as Y wold haue them, Y schall blow IV motes to
     warne e men at e hert is stert and for to draw e men to me. And en
     schall Y rechasyn apon myn hounde III tymes. And when [il sunt] fer fro
     me, Y schall blow in oer maner and at is is: trout trout trororout, trout
|r15 trout trororout, trorerererout, V tymes is last mote.
     Syre huntere, whi blowest u is?
     For as miche as [jeo fu a mon dreit e le cerfs est me e] Y haue no knowyng
     but am at vncerten where e hert is bycome, and Y wote neuer where myn
     hounde bun bycom ne e men, and erfor Y woll blow in is maner. Y
|r20 will chace with e hounde at ben before and rechace with em at ben
     aftur.
     Syre, what maner chace clepe [e] at?
     We clepyn it chace forloyne.
     Oer chace er is at is clepud parfit. [Than covient il que vous corneez
|r25 en autre manere] , and at is is: trororororout trout trout trout trout trout
     trororororout. ou schalt begyn with a long mote and end with a long,
     so that euery man at is about ow at knowe venery may know what
     poynt e bun yn and oure pley by oure blowyng.
     [An oer chace ther is whan a man hath set vp archerys and greyhoundes
|r30 e de establie, and the best passe out the boundys and myne houndes
     after. Than shall Y blowe on this maner: a mote and aftirward rechace
     trourourourout, trourourourout, trourourourout.



|p50


     Vous veneour, pur quey corneez vous issi?
     De aver les gentz que sunt entour la chace a moy e rechater vpon my
|r35 houndys that be past the boundys.
     Whech be the boundes?
     er as the [h]oundes ben, ei that we assignyd, as Y haue sayd to-fore.
     Syre huntere, wole ye [avower] this chace?
     Ya, Syr. If it be a best instrest or inchace[d], jeo l'avoweray. Si issi seit
|r40 que myn houndes passe out ouer the boundes, I shall blowe a mote, and
     aftirward I shall strake aftur myn houndes for to haue hem ayen. And if
     ye wyl not at they chace eny lengere: un mot pur assembler noz gentz e
     aver nos chiens ariere.]

     [OF THE HERT DYUERS QUESTIOUNS]

|r45 And when the hert is take, [ye shal blowe IV motys. And] he schall be
     vndo as other bestis. And yf the hounde be hardy and take e hert by
     strenge, [then] e hunter schall haue e [huyde] by ryt, and he at
     vnlacie hym schal haue e schuldur by reson, [and] e hounde schall
     haue the nec, e lyuer, and e panche, and at schall be eten vpon the
|r50 [hyde]. And at is callid e quyrrie. Bere home e hed byfor the lord, [e
     le queor] and e tail and e roteboll schall be born hom apon a forke,
     and e schal blow mene at e hall dore.

     [OF THE BUK]

     [And whan the buk is jtake, ye shul blowe pryse and reward your houndes
|r55 of the paunche and the bowellis.
     Sire venour, coment deit homme conustre le cerf, quant il vient de sa
     pasture, en quele pasture il ad est, ou en furment ou en aveynne ou en
     feves ou en poys?
     Jeo vous dirray. Si les fumes seient jaunes e engleims, ceo est de
|r60 furment ou de aveyne. Et si il ad est en peys ou en feves, si le cerf est
     cras, les fumees serrount neyrs e engleyms e la fumee menuwe. En ivern,
     quant il est megre, les fumees serrount neyrs e gros e ne mie engleymez.]

     [OF THE BOOR]

     |r[f.39r] // BORRE Syre hunter, what schall be don to e borre?
     Whan e borre is takyn, he schall be vndo all heerid.
     [Quant des hastiletz deit hom avoir du sengler kaunt il est defet?



|p52


     Puis que vous le demaundez, jeo le vous dirray. Il y ad deus menuz
 |r5 hastiletz que serrount pris de les deus quisses dedeinz, pus yl y ad la
     teste, pus le coler, pus les espaules e les costez, pus les filetz, pus les
     haunches e le qoer e le pomoun e lez [pestles] e la eschine, que serra
     copee en quatre, e les gambouns.] And yf he be vndo as it is ryt, he
     schall haue XXXII hastelettes. And e schull yue to oure hounde e
|r10 bowels broyled with bred, and at is clepid reward.
     [E pur quey n'est il mie appel quyreye si cum del cerf?
     Jeo vous dirray.] For [cause that] it is [etyn on the erthe and] not ete on
     non [h]ide. For as miche as is eten on e [h]ide schall be callid quyrrye,
     and at oer is called reward.


|r15 [OF THE ROO]

     ROO Syre hunter, what schall be don to e roo?
     When e roo is taken, e schull reward youre hounde of e fete, and he
     schall be born home all hole, and e [schuldur] schall dwell to e kuychyn.
     He is not [enchased and] nout enquyled, ne is no best of venery, for why
|r20 he croysith byfore the hounde.
     Syr hunter, how schall we do to e roo?
     Thu schalt begyn [E with the ro] by "So houe" in every maner chace in
     fild and in wod for to coupull and vncoupull. But vnto no best at is
     quylid er schall not ben seid "So howe," but vnto o at ben enchased
|r25 hit schall be seid at e last by ryt at euery word.

     [A QWESTION]
     C adds:
     [And alle maner of bestis that ben encha[s]yde has o maner of speche but
     "Sohow" gothe to all maner of chaces and couplyng and dyscouplyng.
|r30 But if yowr houndes renne to on chace that is to seye ruset or
     hauiylon or croiseth or dwell, and they conne not put it no ferther ye
     shal seye "Ho so, amy, so, venez a couplere, sa arere, sohow."]
     Sir hunter, what is "So howe" to seyne?
     [E "So howye" is] as miche to seyne as "Sa ho," but bycause at it is
|r35 more shortly to seyn "So houe" en "Sa ho," we seyn [alwey] "So
     houe."
     Sir hunter, how schall e blow e pris?



|p54


     By III long mote and afturward III schort mote and a long mote at e
     last.
|r40 [How many herdes be ther of bestes of venery?
     Sir, of hertis, of bisses, of bukkes, and of doos, a soundre of wylde swyn,
     a beuy of roos.]

     [OF THE FOX]

     FOX Syre hunter, hou schalt ou seche e fox?
|r45 Y schall blow at e furst III mote, and afturward Y schall let myn
     hounde out of coupull, and Y schall sey "So houe" III tymes al in hye,
     and sey [nout] "Sta houe," at is to seye "Sta ho," and afturward trayle
     aftur [and sey] "Cha ha ha hoe." And afturward Y schall seye "Sa, houe,
     hue, amys, so ho hue, ho, syre, hoe." And yf eny hounde trayle of hym
|r50 and hae a name as Richere or Bemounde, e schull seye: "Oye, a
     Bemounde, done, oye, huy, a luy est, dount a luy est, auaunt, a Be_*mound
     |r[f.39v], auaunt, ho, syre, // ho ho ho!" and draw all oure hounde to
     hym. And yf he be incerteyn at e hounde be blody, and trayle aftur.
     When he is founden, ou schalt rechace as in maner of a noer best
     and sey to yn hounde: "Auaunt, ensemble, auaunt, a luy, dons, a luy,
 |r5 a luy!" And apon e defauute make III assignes as on an hare and sey
     to thyn hounde us: "Ho ho, ore suef, ho hoy, assigne, asseyne, hoy, a
     luy, dans, a luy, a luy!" And when he is take, e schull make youre vay
     homward.
     Sire hunter, woll e chace e fox all orow e ere?
|r10 Nay, by no ryt of venery, but in seson.
     Sire hunter, wiche is e seson?
     It begynnye at e Natiuyte of Our Lady [and duryth] vnto e Anunciacion
     of Our Lady. The hare is all-wey in seson when eny man woll seche for hur.
     Syr hunter, yf oure hounde fynde of a fox oute of seson, woll e rechasen
|r15 apon youre hounde?
     e, Syr, yf my hounde haue gret will [to] renne, en Y woll do it, but Y
     will not wite at it is e fox but an hare and not speke of his ryt but of e
     hare. And yf he be take, Y schall reward myn hounde with brede, but Y
     schall make non abay. Ne e fox schalt not come into e hall.



|p56


|r20 [And if yowre houndes chase the hare or the hert and the houndes be at
     defauut, ye shal say in this maner then "Sohow, hossaine, hossaine, stou,
     ho ho sa, hossaine, ariere, hossaine, sohow!"
     And if your houndes renne wele at the fox or atte the buk and the [houndes]
     be at defauut, ye shul sey in a-noer maner "Ho ho, ore sweff, a luy, douce,
|r25 a luy, ho ho ossayn, sa ariere, sohow, sohow, venez a coupliere!"]

     HERE IS WARDYNG OF WODE, OF FOREST
     AND OF FRE CHACE, OF PARKE [FEE] FOR FORSTERS
     AND PARKERS FEYRE LERNYNG.

     Yf a quarter of a forest be y-sett with archerys and with grey-hounde and
|r30 wanlasouris, and it be in gres tyme of vennyson, and e best be take in e
     laund with greyhounde, e greyhound at pynchie hym furst and
     comethe to e dee of e beste schall haue e hide by ryt, be it buk or do,
     but nout of herte ne hynde, for he at restreynee it schall haue e hide
     euer more. Yf e beste wodie and come to e archers and be hurt with
|r35 eny ercher, he at drawe furst blode of hym, yf it be withyn e IV
     |r[f.40r] quarters, schall haue e hide; and yf he smyte // without e IV quarters and
     another smyte withynne e IV quarters, he that smytie last schall haue
     e hide, be it hert or bucke. And yf the lorde hunt be present and haue
     blowe his motes with his horne, he schall haue e necke and e hedde of
 |r5 euery heste at is takyn in his presens aue none of his hounde be
     vncoupled. And yf e hunt be nout present, he that settie e wanlas
     schall haue e same fee of e bestes at bun take at e wanlas of grey_hounde.
     Or yf it be hurt with archers, and e lord haue a barcelet and sue
     the beste, he schall haue e fee, and ellys e master foster schall haue e
|r10 fee, or els he at makie e sute best. And he at hulte hym schall haue e
     schuldur, and e foster e oer, and he at out e knyf with wiche he is
     vndo schall haue e chyne. Moreouer, yf e quarter be sett, as Y seid
     before, and e beste come into the launde, and e greyhounde pynche it,
     and e beste ascapie and wodie and comee to e archers and be y_hurte 
|r15 with eny ercher, and e greyhound sue and take e best, e grey_hound 



|p58



     schall haue the fee and e archer a peny for his schote. In parke
     may no man aske no fee but al at e will of e lord, but it be at e tyme
     at e parke hegge be orsvtabil of a man or two. e hunter schall
     [haue] his fee and euery man aftur hijs ryt. Yf eny of e bestes ben takyn
|r20 in forest or parke out of sesonne, e hed is forfet to hym at owe the
     chace, and e fee is e master forsters or parkers whether he be.
     Explicit [le venery de Twety and of mayster John Giffarde].
