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haunt of banditti, who long infefted the 

 country ; till a public -fpirited abbot of St. 

 Alban's broke their confederacy, by bringing 

 many of them to juftice, and deftroying their 

 retreats. 



In Effex are the two forefts of Epping, 

 and Hainhault ; the latter of which, it is 

 probable, was once an appendage to the 

 former. For Epping-foreft was anciently a 

 very extenfive diftricl: ; and, under the name 

 of the foreft of EfTex, included a great part 

 of that county. It afterwards took the name 

 of Waltham-foreft ; but Epping being a 

 place better known, it now commonly takes 

 that denomination. 



Wiltfhire alfo was formerly a very woody 

 county ; and once probably almoft the whole 

 of it was a foreft. Even at this day we find 

 in it the veftiges of four forefts. Peeviiham, 

 Blakemore, Bradon, and Savernack. Bradon 

 was a fcene of dreadful bloodmed in the year 

 905 ', when the Danes under Ethelred, in- 

 vaded it : and flaughtered all the inhabitants 



of 



