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each forest. The foresters and verderers were gentlemen: the former appointed by the king's letterspatent; the latter by writ in full county, like our present members of parliament; yet were the regarders set as inspectors over them. They were to go through every part of the forest, accompanied by the foresters, verderers, woodwards, bailiffs, and beadles, and examine into the state of vert and venison; comparing them with the reports of their predecessors, and seeing that no waste, or embezzlement, or improper, or superabundant agistment was made; that no assarts, or purprestures* were attempted. This, however, they could not do when they pleased. They were summoned by writ, once in three years, preparatory to the coming of the justice to hold his pleas, to whom they were to deliver their roll, duly signed and sealed.

Queen Elizabeth, who found that, during the minority of her brother Edward, and the troubled reign of her sister Mary, great waste, destruction, and embezzlement had taken place, made repeated inquests into the state of the forests by her commissioners, and had general surveys and valuations made. She descends in her assises to the very bees, which it seems built then abundantly in our woods, as they do in the American forests now-the old, hollow oaks, being very store-houses of honey. Hawks, herons, the nests of hawks, and every species of beast that had been held the legitimate denizens of forests by her predecessors, as stags, bucks, hares, badgers, foxes, and even cats and squirrels, are enumerated.

* Encroachments and obstructions of several kinds, such as impediments in the highways, turning dykes, building swine-cotes, mills, etc.

These forest laws continued till the Commonwealth. One court of justice was held after the Restoration; but after the revolution of 1688, they fell into desuetude, and now all offences against the forests are cognizable by the common laws of the land.

For the fullest information on this subject, see Cowel, Heskett, Coke, and Blackstone; or Manwood on Forest Laws.

The English Forests were formerly as follows:

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30. Huckestow, Shropshire.
31. Inglewood, Cumberland.
32. Kingswood, Gloucester.
33. Knaresborough, York.
34. Langden, Durham.
35. Leonard.

36. Lee.

37. Leicester, Leicester.
38. Mendip, Somerset.
39. Malvern, Worcester.
40. Martindale, Cumberland.
41. Maxwell, Cheshire.
42. Needwood, Stafford.
43. New Forest, Hants.
44. Pamber, Hants.
45. Peak, Derbyshire.
46. Penrise.

47. Perbroke, Dorset.
48. Rath.

49. Riddlesdale, Northumberland
50. Rockingham, Northampton.
51. Rychiche, Somerset.
52. Salcey, Northampton,
53. Savornac, Wilts.

The only forest in possession
of a subject.

54. Selwood, Somerset.
55. Sherwood, Nottingham.
56. Staines, Middlesex.

57. Teesdale, Durham.

58. Waltham, Essex.
59. Whittlebury, Northampton.
60. Wichwood, Oxford.

61. Wencedale.

62. Westbere.

63. Windsor, Berks.

64. Whinfield, Westmorland.
65. Wirrol, Cheshire.
66. Whitby, Yorkshire.
67. Woolmer.

68. Wyre, Worcester.
69. Wrokene, Salop.

Of these, most are now dis-afforested, and have left only their names. Those which remain are under the management of a board of commissioners; the chief of whom is, by virtue of his office, always one of his majesty's ministers. Needwood is principally inclosed, leaving, however, a portion belonging to the crown, and one lodge. It had formerly four wards, and four keepers, with each a handsome lodge, now in the hands of different private gentlemen. In Elizabeth's reign it was about 24 miles in circumference, and in 1658 it contained 9220 acres of land. In 1684 it contained 47,150 trees, and 10,000 cord of hollies and underwood, valued at 30,7107. It and Bagot's Park, formerly part of it, still contain some of the largest oaks in England. Windsor is the King's Park, and the most complete and splendid example of a park in the world.—Of New Forest, and Sherwood, I propose to speak more particularly.

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THIS forest seems to retain not only more of the forest character than all our other forests, but to have maintained more exactly its ancient boundaries. William of Malmsbury says, the Conqueror laid waste thirty miles of country for this forest. The perambulation of the 22nd of Charles II., extending from Milton south, along the Avon west, to Bramshire north, and within Southampton Water east, by Fawley and Boldre back to Milton, includes about thirty miles square, and this is the extent that is now attributed to it by the inhabitants of the neighbourhood. In the present hundred of New Forest, we have the

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parishes of M1nstead, Fawley, and Boldre; the chapels, or curacies of Lyndhurst, Beaulieu, Exbury, and Brokenhurst. It is indeed the only one of our forests which now can give us a perfect idea of what an English forest was in the feudal ages. It has not acquired, like Windsor, too much of a park-like character by containing a royal residence; nor has it been enclosed, and shaped into quadrangular fields: but there it is, in its original extent,―vast, wild, stocked with deer; with its alternations of woods and heaths, morasses and thickets; interspersed with hamlets and farms, and forest-huts, as were the forests of old. As you go from Southampton to Lyndhurst, you have a fine ride through its lower regions, and see enough to make you desire to steal away into the beautiful woodlands. Lovely streams come winding out of its shades, and hasten towards the sea. You get glimpses of forest glades, and peeps under the trees into distant park-like expanses, or heathy wastes. The deer are wandering here and there: here you see whole troops of those ponies peculiar to this forest; pheasants and partridges come often running out on the way before you. All about grow hollies, which were encouraged in most ancient forests for winter browze; and you have glimpses of forest-trees that were enough to enrich all the landscape painters in the world. But if you wish to know really what New Forest is, you must plunge into its very heart, and explore its farthest recesses. You may go on from wood to wood, and from heath to heath; now coming out on the high ground, as on the Ringwood road, the wild forest lying visible for miles around, and the country towards Southampton and to the very sea, all spread out wide and beautifully to the eye-now descending into profound solitudes,

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