ACQUILLEZ,
Fr., to take, to hold at bay, to gather. "Et s'il voit que les chiens heussent acueili le change" (G. de F., p. 156)—"if he sees that the hounds have taken the change." It also denotes: "owning to the scent" (Senechal, p. 8; Roy Modus, xxix. v).
Twici says: "Les chevereaus ne sunt mie enchacez ne aquyllees," which Dryden translates, "the roebuck is not chased nor hunted up," from enquiller or aquiller, O. Fr. a form of accuellir, to push, put in motion, excite. "The word in English which is nearest to it is 'to imprime,' which was afterwards used for the unharbouring of the hart" (Twici, p. 26).
In the old English translation of Twici (Vesp. B. XII.) aquylees is construed "gadered," which is certainly one sense, but not the one here required (Twici, p. 53).
The "Master of Game" translates ils accueillent in G. de. F., p. 112, by "they run to them" (p. 111. See also Godefroy).
Mid. Eng., affaiten; O. Fr. affaitier, to trim, to fashion. A well-affaited or affeted head, a well-fashioned or good-shaped head. In speaking of stags' antlers, means regularly tinèd and well grown.
Affeted also meant trained or tamed, reclaimed, made gentle, thoroughly manned. Affaiter is still in use in M. Fr., as a term of falconry.
We find this word employed in this sense in the Vision of Piers Plowman (1362): "And go affayte the Fawcons, wilde fowles to kill." And in O. Fr. sporting literature one constantly reads of "Chiens bien, affaities" (well-broken dogs); "oiseaux bien affaities" (well-trained hawks). Roy Modus, lxxix.; Bormans, p. 52; La Chace dou Cerf, Jub. 157; T. M. vol. ii. p. 933.
Allaunts, Canis Alanus; Fr. alans. Also spelt alande, alaunt, allaundes, Aloundys (MS. Brit. Mus., Egerton, 1995). See also Twici, p. 56.
A strong, ferocious dog, supposed to have been brought to Western Europe by a Caucasian tribe called Alains or Alani. This tribe invaded Gaul in the fourth century, settling there awhile, and then continued their wanderings and overran Spain. It is from this country that the best alans were obtained during the Middle Ages, and dogs that are used for bull-or bear-baiting there are still called Alanos. Gaston de Foix, living on the borders of this country, was in the best position to obtain such dogs, and to know all about them. His description, which we have here, tallies exactly with that written in a Spanish book, Libro de la Montería, on hunting of the fourteenth century, written by Alphonso XI.