[205] G. de F. (p. 151) says "in great plenty," not "upon a great platter."
[Illustration: HOW TO QUEST FOR THE HART IN COVERTS (From MS. f. fr. 616, _Bib. Nat._, Paris)]
HOW THE HART SHOULD BE MOVED WITH THE LYMER AND RUN TO AND SLAIN WITH STRENGTH
_When the hart is harboured as before is said and they before named come to the meeting that some men call the assembly, and also the scantilon,[206] and the fumes well liked by the Lord and Master of the Game, then shall the Master of the Game choose of the sergeants or of the yeoman at horse, which of them shall be at the finding, or all, or some. Nevertheless, if the deer be likely to fall among danger it were good to assign some of the horsemen among the relays to help more readily the hounds, if they fall upon the stint,[207] and when the hunters on horseback be assigned then he must assign which of the yeomen berners on foot shall be finders, and which hounds he shall have with him to the finding, and the lymerer and the pages to go with him. And after that to assign the relays by advice of them that know the country and the flight of the deer._
[206] Measure of the deer's footprint. In old English, a measure (Stratmann).