56 THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



had access to the Royal forests ; Forest-Masters, or Maitres 

 Particuliers, who had corresponding functions under the 

 Grand-Masters, and in a more restricted sphere ; and 

 Lieutenants who stood in a relation to the Forest-Masters 

 corresponding somewhat to that in which the Forest 

 Master stood to the Grand-Master. 



The designation has been dropt in France, though its 

 equivalent has been retained in other countries. And 

 the change of designation might be considered indication 

 of a change in function ; but we have to do with it here 

 onlv as it was used at the time in question. 



Of subordinate officers, the most important were : the 

 Procureur du Roi, the Greffier, the Garde-Marteau, and the 

 Sergen du Garde. The duties of all of these are detailed in 

 the ordinance ; and therefore nothing more need be stated 

 here than that the designation Procureur du Roi is given 

 to the king's attorney in the courts in which he appeared 

 in prosecution of offenders ; the Greffier had charge of all 

 documents pertaining to the administration of the Maitrise 

 to which he was attached, his duties resembled somewhat 

 those of a Recorder of Court, but in some of their details 

 they resembled more [those of a Registrar. A stamping 

 hammer was employed in marking trees which define 

 boundaries in the forest, and others which like them 

 were to be reserved in fellings. If this hammer were used 

 surreptitiously to mark other trees instead of these, serious 

 consequences might ensue ; it was therefore entrusted to 

 the charge of a special officer, in reference to which his 

 designation was Garde-Marteau ; and the conditions under 

 which it was to be produced and used are specified in the 

 ordinance ; the Sergen du Garde, as his designation implies, 

 was a subordinate but important responsible officer of the 

 forest police. There were Capitaineries des Ckassees in great 

 numbers, which had been established by kings and by 

 seigneurs, but all, with specified exceptions, were sup- 

 pressed by this Ordinance of 1669, and the number of 

 them was still further reduced bv Declaration of 27th 

 July 1701. 



