VIII.
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 gamneȝ,
To hunt in holteȝ & heþe, at hyndeȝ 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,
& quykly of þe quelled dere a querré þay maked;
Þe best boȝed þerto, with burneȝ in-noghe,
Gedered þe grattest of gres þat þer were,
& didden hem derely vndo, as þe dede askeȝ;
Serched hem at þe asay, summe þat þer were,
Two fyngeres þay fonde of þe fowlest of alle;
Syþen þay slyt þe slot, sesed þe erber,
Schaued wyth a scharp knyf, & þe schyre knitten;
Syþen rytte þay þe foure lymmes, & rent of þe hyde,
Þen brek þay þe bale, þe baleȝ out token,
Lystily forlancyng, & bere of þe knot;
Þay gryped to þe gargulun, & grayþely departed
Þe wesaunt fro þe wynt-hole, & walt out þe gutteȝ;
Þen scher þay out þe schuldereȝ with her scharp knyueȝ,
Haled hem by a lyttel hole, to haue hole sydes;
Siþen britned þay þe brest, & brayden hit in twynne,
& eft at þe gargulun bigyneȝ on þenne,
Ryueȝ hit vp radly, ryȝt to þe byȝt,
Voydeȝ out þe a-vanters, & verayly þerafter
Alle þe rymeȝ by þe rybbeȝ radly þay lance;
So ryde þay of by resoun bi þe rygge boneȝ,
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,
bi kynde;
Bi þe byȝt al of þe þyȝes,
Þe lappeȝ þay lance bi-hynde,
To hewe hit in two þay hyȝes,
Bi þe bak-bon to vnbynde.