VIII.
Reading edition
Meanwhile the lord of the land and his men hunt in woods and heaths. 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, Quickly of the killed a "quarry" they make. 1324 & quykly of þe quelled dere a querré þay maked; Þe best bo3ed þerto, with burne3 in-noghe, Then they set about breaking the deer. Gedered þe grattest of gres þat þer were, & didden hem derely vndo, as þe dede aske3; They take away the assay or fat, 1328 Serched hem at þe asay, summe þat þer were, Two fyngeres þay fonde of þe fowlest of alle; then they slit the slot and remove the erber. Syþen þay slyt þe slot, sesed þe erber, They afterwards rip the four limbs and rend off the hide. Schaued wyth a scharp knyf, & þe schyre knitten; 1332 Syþen rytte þay þe foure lymmes, & rent of þe hyde, They next open the belly Þen brek þay þe bale, þe bale3 out token, [Fol. 109.] and take out the bowels. Lystily forlancyng, & bere of þe knot; Þay gryped to þe gargulun, & grayþely departed They then separate the weasand from the windhole and throw out the guts. 1336 Þe wesaunt fro þe wynt-hole, & walt out þe gutte3; Þen scher þay out þe schuldere3 with her scharp knyue3, The shoulders are cut out, and the breast divided into halves. 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, The numbles are next removed. 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; By the fork of the thighs, Bi þe by3t al of þe þy3es, Þe lappe3 þay lance bi-hynde, the flaps are hewn in two by the backbone. To hewe hit in two þay hy3es, 1352 Bi þe bak-bon to vnbynde.