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of Canute therefore eftablifhed in each county four chief 

 forefters, who were gentlemen or thanes ; ex liber alwribus 

 hominibus : under each of whom were four yeomen or lefs 

 thanes, ex mediocribus hominibus. The four inferior officers 

 had the care of the vert and venifon ; but were in no fort 

 to interfere in the adminiftration ofjuflice, altho in con - 

 fequence of their appointment they were thenceforth 

 deemed thanes or gentlemen. Under each of thefe again 

 were two officers, taken from men of ftill lower rank, 

 who had the care of the vert or venifon in the night, and 

 did the more fervile works. But if any of thefe were 

 before a Have, he became free by his appointment. All 

 thefe officers had eftablifhed falaries and perquifites, and 

 enjoyed a variety of privileges and immunities ; fo that 

 their appointments might be deemed very liberal. The 

 two lower ranks were under the correction of the four 

 chief forefters, who were fubjefl to the immediate autho- 

 rity of the king ; or rather, it is to be prefumed, of his 

 fuperior court. For in the common language of the law 

 of England the authority of the king in matters of juftice 

 means, not the perfonal authority of the prince on the 

 throne, but the authority of his fuperior courts of juftice, 

 refponfible for their adls to the people. 



The chief forefters had the royal jurifdi&ion within the 

 foreft, fubjeft to the controul of the king, and held their 

 courts four times in the year. The trials before them 

 feem to have refembled the modes of trial of thofe times in 

 other criminal cafes. The offences againft the vert 

 merely, were lightly treated ; thofe againft the venifon 

 more feverely ; and diftinction was made according to the 

 rank and condition of the offender, between civil and cri- 

 minal trefpafles, and between beafts of the foreft in ge- 

 neral, and thofe termed royal, which feem to have been 

 only the flag. Chacing a bead of the foreft expofed all 



offenders 



