CONCLUSION. 207 
In his passion for hunting wild animals Henry I. 
excelled even his brother William, and not content 
with encountering and slaying those which like the 
wolf and the wild boar, were at that time indi- 
genous to this country, he “ cherished of set purpose 
sundrie kinds of wild beasts, as bears, libards, ounces, 
lions, at Woodstocke, and one or two other places in 
England, which he walled about with hard stone 
(A.D. 1120), and where he would often fight with some 
one of them hand to hand.” 
Henry II. and John were both great preservers of 
wild animals, and monopolized large tracts of country 
wherein to indulge their passion for hunting. Ferocious 
animals were in consequence long suffered to remain 
at large against the will of the people, and hence 
survived to a much later period in this country 
than would have been the case had the subjects of 
these monarchs dared sooner to assert their inde- 
pendence. But at length came the repeal of the 
forest laws. The operation of the Charter of the 
Forests, which was signed by John at the same time 
with Magna Charta, restrained the worst abuses of 
the feudal tenure; all lands which had been con- 
verted into woods or parks since the commencement 
of this reign were disafforested, and the tenants 
bordering on the royal forests secured against spolia- 
tion ; in a word, the laws made for the protection of 
the game and wild animals were either partially 
repealed or considerably mitigated. 
A confirmation of this charter was obtained, 
though with much difficulty, from Henry IIL It 
