XXIII.

[A] After messe a morsel[1] he & his men token, Miry wat3 þe mornyng, his mounture he askes; 1692 [B] Alle þe haþeles þat on horse schulde helden hym after, Were boun busked on hor blonkke3, bi-fore[2] þe halle 3ate3; [C] Ferly fayre wat3 þe folde, for þe forst clenged, In rede rudede vpon rak rises þe sunne, 1696 [D] & ful clere coste3[3] þe clowdes of þe welkyn. Hunteres vnhardeled bi a holt syde, Rocheres roungen bi rys, for rurde of her hornes; [E] Summe fel in þe fute, þer þe fox bade, 1700 Trayle3 ofte a trayteres[4], bi traunt of her wyles; A kenet kryes þerof, þe hunt on hym calles, His fela3es fallen hym to, þat fnasted ful þike, [F] Runnen forth in a rabel, in his ry3t fare; 1704 & he fyske3 hem by-fore, þay founden hym sone, [G] & quen þay seghe hym with sy3t, þay sued hym fast, Wre3ande h[ym] ful [w]eterly with a wroth noyse; [H] & he trantes & tornayee3 þur3 mony tene greue; 1708 Hamloune3, & herkene3, bi hegge3 ful ofte; [I] At þe last bi a littel dich he lepe3 ouer a spenné, [Fol. 114.] Stele3 out ful stilly bi a strothe rande, [J] Went haf wylt of þe wode, with wyle3 fro þe houndes, 1712 Þenne wat3 he went, er he wyst, to[5] a wale tryster, [K] Þer þre þro at a þrich þrat hym at ones, al graye; [L] He blenched a3ayn bilyue, 1716 & stifly start onstray, With alle þe wo on lyue, [M] To þe wod he went away.

[Sidenote A: After mass, a morsel he take with his men.] [Sidenote B: Then were all on their horses before the hall-gates.] [Sidenote C: It was a clear frosty morning.] [Sidenote D: The hunters, dispersed by a wood's side,] [Sidenote E: come upon the track of a fox,] [Sidenote F: which is followed up by the hounds.] [Sidenote G: They soon get sight of the game,] [Sidenote H: and pursue him through many a rough grove.] [Sidenote I: The fox at last leaps over a spinny,] [Sidenote J: and by a rugged path seeks to get clear from the hounds.] [Sidenote K: He comes upon one of the hunting stations, where he is attacked by the dogs.] [Sidenote L: However, he slips them,] [Sidenote M: and makes again for the wood.] [Footnote 1: MS. nnorsel.] [Footnote 2: bi-forere, in MS.] [Footnote 3: caste3 (?).] [Footnote 4: trayveres (?).] [Footnote 5: to to, in MS.]