l66 THE LOST HISTORY OF PEAK FOREST. 



hounds, and, if the hounds could not scent them, they should go 

 at other times, in the time of summer, at St. Barnabas' Day, when 

 the wolves had young (catulos), and they should take a lad {garcon) 

 to carry the traps {ingenid), who should be armed with a hatchet 

 and a {gesarme*), with a knife at his belt (cutelV ad zonam), but 

 without bow or arrows, and he should have a mastiff not lawed 

 {expeditaius), and trained for the purpose. 



Judging from the fines imposed upon the convictions for veni- 

 son trespasses, it would seem that the penalties for taking the 

 king's deer, and for all kinds of venison trespass, were by no 

 means so terrible as historians would make us believe. We find 

 in these Rolls that the same men were fined over and over again ; 

 sometimes a few marks, occasionally only half a mark, certainly 

 not grievous punishment, nor sufficient to deter them from a repeti- 

 tion of the offences. And, more than this, these punishments 

 were administered charitably : some of the convicted were excused 

 the payment of these fines on account of their poverty. 



The presentments for venison trespass open with a tremendous 

 indictment against Wm. Ferrars, Earl of Derby, who was then dead, 

 Ralf Beaufoi of Trusley, Wm. May, the Earl's hunter, and Robert 

 Curzon of Chaddesden, with Henry (Foljambe ?) de Elton, who 

 had taken during his six years of office over 2,000 beasts. This 

 limit of six years shows that the enquiry evidently was confined 

 to King Henry's reign, and did not extend to that of his father. 

 Ralf Beaufoi was fined ^10; Robert Curzon, 60 marks; the 

 Earl's hunter had escaped (retired into Norfolk), where he was 

 to be attached. 



It does not appear from this Roll what the heirs of the Earl 

 were fined, but it is very probable that the payments by Edward 

 the king's son in 38 Henry HI., of 102 marks and \ mark were in 

 respect of it. It was probably one of the occasions for bringing 

 ruin to Robert, Earl of Derby, who was outlawed shortly after- 

 wards and his possessions given to the king's son. Nearly all the 

 chief men of the counties of York and Derby, and many of 



* Hasia vel jacitluni, a spear or lance. — Ed. 



