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The Book of Saint Albans
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Description
The Book of Saint Albans was printed in 1486, and is one of the first works that began the flood of printed literature in English after the advent of the printing press. England's voracious readership created a demand for many types of books, and such a demand allows us now to see what life was like during that time, told in the voices of that time. This book in particular covers the noble pursuits of hawking, hunting, and heraldry, and contains reproductions of the original work, transcription of the Middle English text, and a translation into Modern English.
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Note From The Author
Many thanks to the efforts of the University of Toronto for scanning their printing of the Boke of Saint Albans, which itself is a facsimile of the original, and making those scans available in the public domain. Their generosity has made this project possible.
I would also like to thank Project Gutenberg and its volunteer arm, Distributed Proofreaders, for introducing me to this work and to the enjoyment of transcribing and translating Middle English.
In addition, I would like to thank the invaluable efforts of Ellen Rawson of the Society for Creative Anachronism for having translated so many obscure and difficult-to-find terms in the section on hawking. You have made this work far better than it used to be.
Cover art is in the public domain, and originally created by Louis Agassiz Fuertes for the Birds of New York Memoir 12.
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On The Material
Due to the manner of printing at the time, shorthand methods were used to keep passages properly formatted within the page. There is also an ambiguity between the letters v and u, and often u will serve as both within words, whereas v is reserved almost primarily for Roman numerals. In my transcription, I have endeavored to completely write out all shorthand, as well as implement the letter v where appropriate, taken in context of the word. Words in Latin and French have been left untranslated, though typos have been cleaned up to the best of my ability. In one instance an editing note was accidentally included in the Latin text of the last section, a note that, translated, says "don't compress (the text) here". That has been omitted as well, as such instruction was not included in the French or English passages.
In the section on hawking and hunting, please note that this text is only meant as a historical record and is not meant to be used as a modern guide for animal husbandry. Many methods of care noted in the book are currently outdated and considered inhumane. If you wish to begin or further your interest in falconry, I invite you to refer to modern societies on the topic, as well as veterinary recommendation.
An attempt has been made to marry current terminology with the terminology mentioned in the text, especially in the section on hawking. Phrases in Latin and French have been purposefully kept as they are in the heraldry section, and so I have tried to help them stand out by setting them in italice. Middle English words that have proven as yet untranslatable are also set in italics. The terminology for heraldry in Middle English is extensive, and so as not to lose the flavor of it, I have kept the terms as they are, with the exception of trying to make their spellings consistent.
Punctuation in the original text was meant to suggest pauses, or denote where words have been split at the end of one line and the beginning of the next. My transcription maintains this original punctuation, but my translation has endeavored to interpret it as faithfully as possible using punctuation in the fashion it is understood today.
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Sample
The Book of Saint Albans, page 1
Middle English Transcription
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In so moch that gentill men and honest persones have gre:
ete delite in haukyng and desire to have the maner to take
haukys: and also how and in waat wyse they shulde gyde theym
ordynateli: and to knaw the gentill termys in communyng of
theyr haukys: and to understonde theyr sekeneses and enfirmi:
tees: and also to knawe medicines for theym accordyng. and
mony notabull termys that ben used in hawkyng both of their hau
kys and of the fowles that their hawkys shall sley. Therfore
thys book fowlowyng in a dew forme shewys veri knawlege of
suche plesure to gentill men and personys disposed to se itt.
Thys is the maner to begynne to kepe hawkys: bot not
all maner hawkys. Bott oonli Goshawkys: and Ter:
cellis of Goshawkys. And spare hawkys. And in watt maner
thay shall be taake.
The maner to speke of hawkis fro an eeg to thei
be habull to be takene.
Now to speke of hawkys. First thay been Egges. And af:
terwarde they bene disclosed hawkys. and communeli gos
hawkys been disclosed. as sone as the choughe and in some place
more tymeli after the contre is of hebe. and tymeli bredyng.
And we shall say that hawkis doon Eyer. and not brede.
in the woodes. And we shall say that hawkys doon draw when
they bere tymbering to their nestes. and nott they beld ne ma:
ke ther nestes And in the tyme of their love they call. and not
kauke. And we shall say that they trede.
And when they bene unclosed and begynneth to feder any
thyng of lengthe Anoon be kynde they will draw somwatt out
of the nest: and draw to bowis. and come agayn to ther nest
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Modern English Translation
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Because gentlemen and honest people take great delight in falconry and want to be able to catch hawks; and also how they should train their hawks; and to become fluent in the formal terms of falconry; and to understand their sicknesses and infirmities; and also to know the proper treatments for those ailments; and the formal terms used in falconry both about their hawks and their quarry - therefore this book will provide instruction towards the enjoyment of falconry for gentlemen and people who take an interest in it.
This is the how you begin to keep hawks, but not all kinds of hawks, only goshawks and tiercels of goshawks, and sparrowhawks will also be mentioned. This is also how you capture them.
The proper way to refer to hawks from the egg until the point where they can be captured.
With regards to hawks, they begin life as eggs. After they hatch they are called hawks. Commonly goshawks are hatched, and this occurs around the same time that choughs are hatched or even earlier when the land is young and the hawk was bred early.
And we shall say that hawks eyer and not breed, in the woods. And we shall say that hawks draw when they bring sticks to their nests and not that they build or make their nests. And in the time of their love they call and not cawk. And we shall say that they tread.
And when they have hatched and begin to grow feathers of any length, like all birds they will go out of the nest and explore the nearby boughs before coming back into the nest again.
The Book of Saint Albans, page 2
Middle English Transcription
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And then thay be clepit Bowessis. And after saynt Mar:
garetis day thay will flie fro tree to tree. And then thay bene
calde Brawncheris. And then it is time for to take hem
And .vii. nighttis be fore saynt Margaritis day & .vii.
nightis after is beste takyng of spare hawkes.
How ye shall demeyn yow in takyng of hawkis
& with wat instrumentis & how ye shall kide them
Who so will take hawkes he must have nettis which bental:
led urines and tho must be made of good small threde.
and it hade need to be died other green or blwe for espreng of thee
hawke. and he most take with hym needell and threde to ensile the
hawkes that ben takien. And in this maner they must be ensiled.
Take the needell and threde: and put it throow the over igh lid
and so of that other. and make hem fast under the beke: thatt
she se never a deell and then she is ensiled as she awthe to be.
Sum usen to ensile hem with the needer igh lidde a bone the beke
on the hede almost: bot that is the wors way for of reeson the
over igh lidde closith more iustly then the nether be cause of the
largenesse. When she is ensiled then bere thi hawke home on thi
fiste and cast hir on a perch and let hir stande ther a night and
a day and on that other day towarde eeven. then take and cut eseli
the thredes and take hem a way softeli for brekyng of the lyddis
of the ighen. Then softe and faire begynne to fede her. and fair
fare with her till she will sitte weell uppon the fist. For it is dre
de for hurtyng of hir wengys. And then thessame night after the
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Modern English Translation
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And then they are called bowesses.
And after St. Margeret's day they will fly from tree to tree, and then they are called branchers, and it is time to capture them. Seven nights before and after St. Margeret's day is the best time to capture sparrowhawks.
How you will conduct yourself when capturing your hawk, what instruments you will use, and how you will use them.
Whosoever wishes to capture hawks must use netting which is called a urine and is made of fine thread which is dyed blue or green. He must also bring a needle and thread to seel the captured hawk. This is how one seels a hawk. Take the needle and thread and put it through the upper eyelid on either side, then tie the strings below the beak to keep the eyes closed so she sees nothing at all, and then she is seeled like she ought to be. Some seel their hawks using a thread through the lower eyelid with the strings tied above the beak and almost on the head, but that way isn't as effective because the eyes will not fully close that way. When the hawk is seeled, set her on your fist and take her home, and cast her upon a perch and let her stand there a whole night and day. That evening, after she has perched for a full day, gently cut the threads and allow her eyes to open. Then gently begin to feed her. Treat her kindly and feed her in this fashion until she trusts you and is willing to perch upon your fist on her own. Don't force the issue or you may hurt her wings.