3'3 



TO 



THE FIRST EDITION. 



A 



FRIEND of the author*, diffatisfied with feme of his 

 ftriftures on the ancient conftitution of the Englifh govern- 

 ment, and on the foreft-law, in the firft edition of his 

 work)-, fent him the following remarks ; which feemed to 

 him fo ingenious, that he defired permiffion to print them 

 in the prefent edition. 



A NEW light is fuppofed to have broken upon the 

 European world in late times, after centuries ofdarknefs 

 following the definition of the Roman empire : and it 

 has been boldly aflerted, that the inhabitants of England, 

 having neither freedom, nor fenfe to demand it, were 

 flaves from the firft entry of our Saxon anceftors, till the 

 overthrow of defpotifm by the republicans in the reign 

 of Charles I. or perhaps till the revolution under William 

 III. The author of Obfervations on Foreft Scenery, 

 feems in fome degree to have given countenance to thia 

 opinion. He allows indeed, that there were " fome traces 



* Sir John Mitford, the prefent attorney-general. 1800, 

 f VoJ. ii. p. 9. to 15. 



of 



