Chapter I

[A] Ful erly bifore þe day þe folk vp-rysen,
Gestes þat go wolde, hor grome3 þay calden,
1128 [B] & þay busken vp bilyue, blonkke3 to sadel,
Tyffen he[r] takles, trussen her males,
Richen hem þe rychest, to ryde alle arayde,
Lepen vp ly3tly, lachen her brydeles,
1132 [C] Vche wy3e on his way, þer hym wel lyked.
[D] Þe leue lorde of þe londe wat3 not þe last,
A-rayed for þe rydyng, with renkke3 ful mony;
[E] Ete a sop hastyly, when he hade herde masse,
1136 With bugle to bent felde he buske3 by-lyue;
[F] By þat þat any day-ly3t lemed vpon erþe,
He with his haþeles on hy3e horsses weren.
[G] Þenne þise cacheres þat couþe, cowpled hor hounde3,
1140 Vnclosed þe kenel dore, & calde hem þer-oute,
[H] Blwe bygly in bugle3 þre bare mote;
Braches bayed þerfore, & breme noyse maked,
[I] & þay chastysed, & charred, on chasyng þat went;
1144 A hundreth of hunteres, as I haf herde telle,
of þe best;
[J] To trystors vewters 3od,
Couples huntes of kest,
1148 Þer ros for blaste3 gode, [Fol. 106b.]
[K] Gret rurd in þat forest.

[Sidenote A: Before day-break folks uprise,] [Sidenote B: saddle their horses, and truss their mails.] [Sidenote C: Each goes where it pleases him best.] [Sidenote D: The noble lord of the land arrays himself for riding.] [Sidenote E: He eats a sop hastily and goes to mass.] [Sidenote F: Before day-light he and his men are on their horses.] [Sidenote G: Then the hounds are called out and coupled.] [Sidenote H: Three short notes are blown by the bugles.] [Sidenote I: A hundred hunters join in the chase.] [Sidenote J: To the stations the "fewters" go,] [Sidenote K: and the dogs are cast off.]