Mi dere sones, where ye fare, be frith, or by fell, Take good hede in his tyme how Tristrem wol tell; How many maner bestes of venery there were, Listenes now to oure Dame, and ye shullen here. Ffowre maner of bestes of venery there are, The first of hem is a hert, the second is an hare; The boor is one of tho, The wolff, and no mo. And whereso ye comen in play or in place, Now shal I tel you which ben bestes of chace; One of tho a buk, another a doo, The ffox and the marteryn, and the wilde roo; And ye shall, my dere sones, other bestes all, Where so ye hem finde, rascall hem call, In frith or in fell, Or in fforest, y yow tell. And to speke of the hert, if ye wil hit lere, Ye shall cal him a calfe at the first yere; The seconde yere a broket, so shal he be, The third yere a spayard, lerneth this at me; The iii yere calles hem a stagge, be eny way The fift yere a grete stagge, my dame bade you say. |