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HUNTING: OPENING by JULIANA BERNERS

First Line: MI DERE SONES, WHERE YE FARE, BE FRITH, OR BY FELL
Last Line: THE FIFT YERE A GRETE STAGGE, MY DAME BADE YOU SAY.
Subject(s): HUNTING; HUNTERS;

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.



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