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fheriff, calling the vcrderors, fhould bail the prifoner 

 in their prefence. If the chief warden fhould be con- 

 victed of improperly refufing to bail the prifoner, treble 

 damages were given to the perfon grieved, and the warden 

 was to be further punifhed by imprifonment and fine. 



The old writ mentioned in this aft appears in the 

 ancient regifler of writs ; and it is to be collected from 

 this ftatute that in very diftant times the laws of the 

 country had anxioufly provided in the cafe of perfons 

 charged with offences of the foreft, a particular remedy 

 fimilar to the writ of habeas corpus, ftill confidered as 

 one great bulwark of our liberties. 



In the fame year the king confirmed the great charter 

 of liberties and charter of the foreft ; and a ftatute was 

 made for keeping the perambulations of Edward the 

 firft, and fupplying any deficiency in thofe perambula- 

 tions. It is obfervable that this ftutute is the laft par- 

 liamentary regulation of the bounds of the foreft before 

 the arbitrary conduct of Charles I. provoked a fimilar 

 at. Edward the third, always obliged to his fubjecls, 

 and generally well difpofed to them, in the 43d year of 

 his reign granted a general pardon of all offences of the 

 foreft. 



In the reign of Richard the fecond, the officers of the 

 foreft appear to have attempted improper means to in- 

 fluence the verdicts of juries ; and it was therefore 

 ena&ed, in the feventh year of this king, that no jury 

 flioukl be compelled, by menace or otherwife, to give 

 their verdict of trefpafs done in the foreft otherwife 

 than their confcience would clearly inform them ; but 

 that they (hould give their verdict upon the matter where- 

 with they fhould be charged, and in the place where 

 they fhould be charged. It was alfo provided that no 

 man fhould be taken or imprifoned by any officer of 



the 



