I.

Before day-break folks uprise, Ful erly bifore þe day þe folk vp-rysen, Gestes þat go wolde, hor grome3 þay calden, saddle their horses, and truss their mails. 1128 & 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, Each goes where it pleases him best. 1132 Vche wy3e on his way, þer hym wel lyked. The noble lord of the land arrays himself for riding. Þe leue lorde of þe londe wat3 not þe last, A-rayed for þe rydyng, with renkke3 ful mony; He eats a sop hastily and goes to mass. Ete a sop hastyly, when he hade herde masse, 1136 With bugle to bent felde he buske3 by-lyue; Before day-light he and his men are on their horses. By þat þat any day-ly3t lemed vpon erþe, He with his haþeles on hy3e horsses weren. Then the hounds are called out and coupled. Þenne þise cacheres þat couþe, cowpled hor hounde3, 1140 Vnclosed þe kenel dore, & calde hem þer-oute, Three short notes are blown by the bugles. Blwe bygly in bugle3 þre bare mote; Braches bayed þerfore, & breme noyse maked, A hundred hunters join in the chase. & þay chastysed, & charred, on chasyng þat went; 1144 A hundreth of hunteres, as I haf herde telle, of þe best; To the stations the "fewters" go, To trystors vewters 3od, Couples huntes of kest, [Fol. 106b.] 1148 Þer ros for blaste3 gode, and the dogs are cast off. Gret rurd in þat forest.