Colbert's Reform. 215 



territory under the ban, while bois is used to designate 

 actual woodland (silva). 



In 1376, Charles V, in his endeavor to build up a 

 navy against England, made reservations for naval 

 timber and also issued the ordinance of Melun, a 

 general forest code, the provisions of which lasted 

 largely until the reform of 1669. In 1402, the many 

 ordinances, often contradictory were codified under 

 one text, and another codification was made under 

 Francis I in 1515. 



By the middle of the 17th century the devastation 

 of forests had progressed so far, and the abuses in the 

 management of the royal domain had become so evident 

 that Louis XIV's great minister, Colbert, was induced 

 to make the historical remark "France will perish 

 for lack of woods." Again the needs of the navy 

 was the prime incentive of the vigorous reform which 

 he instituted after a most searching investigation. 

 The result was the celebrated forest ordinance of 1669. 

 For this purpose he appointed, in 1662, a commission 

 which not only investigated conditions but was 

 clothed with power to reform the abuses which it 

 might discover. For this work he selected four trusted 

 men outside of the forest service, to whom later more 

 were added, and gave them the aid of technical ad- 

 visers, among whom Froudoir seems to have been most 

 prominent. Colbert himself gave close attention to 

 this work of reform. As the first act, the commission 

 recommended the ceasing of all cutting in the royal 

 forests, and, after deliberation and consultation with 

 interested parties through eight years, the final law 

 was enacted, a masterpiece whose principles and 



