I.

Before day-break folks uprise, Ful erly bifore þe day þe folk vp-rysen, Gestes þat go wolde, hor gromeȝ þay calden, saddle their horses, and truss their mails. 1128 & þay busken vp bilyue, blonkkeȝ to sadel, Tyffen he[r] takles, trussen her males, Richen hem þe rychest, to ryde alle arayde, Lepen vp lyȝtly, lachen her brydeles, Each goes where it pleases him best. 1132 Vche wyȝe on his way, þer hym wel lyked. The noble lord of the land arrays himself for riding. Þe leue lorde of þe londe watȝ not þe last, A-rayed for þe rydyng, with renkkeȝ 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 buskeȝ by-lyue; Before day-light he and his men are on their horses. By þat þat any day-lyȝt lemed vpon erþe, He with his haþeles on hyȝe horsses weren. Then the hounds are called out and coupled. Þenne þise cacheres þat couþe, cowpled hor houndeȝ, 1140 Vnclosed þe kenel dore, & calde hem þer-oute, Three short notes are blown by the bugles. Blwe bygly in bugleȝ 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 ȝod, Couples huntes of kest, [Fol. 106b.] 1148 Þer ros for blasteȝ gode, and the dogs are cast off. Gret rurd in þat forest.