7^ FOX. Class I. 



It has been a received opinion, that the other 

 parts of thefe kingdoms were in early times deli- 

 vered from this peft by the care of king Edgar, 

 In England he attempted to efFedl it by commu- 

 ting the punifliments for certain crimes into the ac- 

 ceptance of a number of wolves tongues from each 

 criminal : in IVales by converting the tax of gold 

 and filver into an annual tribute of 300 wolves 

 heads. Notwithftanding thefe his endeavours, and 

 the aflertions of fome authors, his fcheme pro- 

 proved abortive. We find that fome centuries af- 

 ter the reign of that Saxon monarch, thefe animals 

 were again increafed to fuch a degree, as to become 

 the objed of royal attention ; accordingly Edward 

 the firft iflued out his mandate to Peter Corbet to 

 fuperintend and affift in the deftrudbion of them 

 in the feveral counties of Gloucejler^ Worcefier^ 

 Hereford^ Salop^ and Stafford^: and in the adja- 



* Pro Petro Corbet, de Lupis Capiendis. 



Rex, omnibus BalU'vis, &c. Sciafis quod injunximus dikao et 

 fideli nofiro Petro Corbet quod in omnibus for eflis et parcis et aliis 

 locis intra comifatus nojiros Gloucefter, Wygorn, Hereford, 

 Salop, et Stafford, in quibus lupi poterunt in-veniri lupos cum 

 hojninibus canibus et ingcniis fuis capiat et defiruat 7nodis omnibus 

 quibus ^jiderit expedire. 



Et ideo njobis mandamus quod eidem intendentes et auxiliantes ejiis, 

 Tejie rege ^///rf'Weftm. 14 Mail A. D. 1281. Rymer, vol. i. 

 pars 2. p. 192. 



By the grant of liberties from king John, to the inhabi- 

 tants of De^onjhire, it appears that thefe animals were not 

 then extirpated, even in that fouthern country, vide Jppen^ 

 dix No. 



cent 



