Chapter 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.]