Chapter VIII

[A] And ay þe lorde of þe londe is lent on his gamne3,
1320 To hunt in holte3 & heþe, at hynde3 barayne,
Such a sowme he þer slowe bi þat þe sunne heldet,
Of dos & of oþer dere, to deme were wonder.
Þenne fersly þay flokked in folk at þe laste,
1324 [B] & quykly of þe quelled dere a querré þay maked;
Þe best bo3ed þerto, with burne3 in-noghe,
[C] Gedered þe grattest of gres þat þer were,
& didden hem derely vndo, as þe dede aske3;
1328 [D] Serched hem at þe asay, summe þat þer were,
Two fyngeres þay fonde of þe fowlest of alle;
[E] Syþen þay slyt þe slot, sesed þe erber,
[F] Schaued wyth a scharp knyf, & þe schyre knitten;
1332 Syþen rytte þay þe foure lymmes, & rent of þe hyde,
[G] Þen brek þay þe bale, þe bale3 out token,
[H] Lystily forlancyng, & bere of þe knot; [Fol. 109.]
Þay gryped to þe gargulun, & grayþely departed
1336 [I] Þe wesaunt fro þe wynt-hole, & walt out þe gutte3;
Þen scher þay out þe schuldere3 with her scharp knyue3,
[J] Haled hem by a lyttel hole, to haue hole sydes;
Siþen britned þay þe brest, & brayden hit in twynne,
1340 & eft at þe gargulun bigyne3 on þenne,
[K] Ryue3 hit vp radly, ry3t to þe by3t,
Voyde3 out þe a-vanters, & verayly þerafter
Alle þe ryme3 by þe rybbe3 radly þay lance;
1344 So ryde þay of by resoun bi þe rygge bone3,
Euenden to þe haunche, þat henged alle samen,
& heuen hit vp al hole, & hwen hit of þere,
& þat þayneme for þe noumbles, bi nome as I trowe,
1348 bi kynde;
[L] Bi þe by3t al of þe þy3es,
Þe lappe3 þay lance bi-hynde,
[M] To hewe hit in two þay hy3es,
1352 Bi þe bak-bon to vnbynde.

[Sidenote A: Meanwhile the lord of the land and his men hunt in woods and heaths.] [Sidenote B: Quickly of the killed a "quarry" they make.] [Sidenote C: Then they set about breaking the deer.] [Sidenote D: They take away the assay or fat,] [Sidenote E: then they slit the slot and remove the erber.] [Sidenote F: They afterwards rip the four limbs and rend off the hide.] [Sidenote G: They next open the belly] [Sidenote H: and take out the bowels.] [Sidenote I: They then separate the weasand from the windhole and throw out the guts.] [Sidenote J: The shoulders are cut out, and the breast divided into halves.] [Sidenote K: The numbles are next removed.] [Sidenote L: By the fork of the thighs,] [Sidenote M: the flaps are hewn in two by the backbone.]