THE FOREST ORDINANCE OF 1669. 61 



The following is a translation of the Ordinance : 



' ORDINANCE OF Louis XIV., KING OF FRANCE AND 

 NAVARRE, RELATIVE TO WATERS AND FORESTS. 

 GIVEN AT SAINT GERMAIN EN LEYE, IN THE 

 MONTH OF AUGUST 1609. 



'Louis, by the Grace of God, King of France and of 

 Navarre : To all in the present and the future, Greeting. 

 Although the disorder which had slipt into the Eaux et 

 Forets of our kingdom had become so universal and so 

 rooted that the remedy of it appeared to be almost 

 impossible; nevertheless, Heaven has so favoured the 

 application of eight years which we have given to the 

 re-establishment of this noble and valuable portion of 

 our domain, that we see it to-day in a more flourishing 

 condition than ever before, and producing to the public 

 all the benefits which could have been expected from it, 

 be it in the conveniences of private life ; be it for supply- 

 ing the requirements of war ; or be it, in fine, for the 

 adornment of peace, and the increase of commerce by 

 lengthened voyages in all parts of the world. But as it is 

 not enough to have re-established order and discipline, if 

 we do not by good and wise regulations see to it that the 

 fruit of this shall be secured to posterity, We have con- 

 sidered that it is simply an act of justice to consummate a 

 work so useful and so necessary, and to cause to be reported 

 to us all the Ordinances, both old and new, which relate to 

 the matter, to the end that, having considered them along 

 with the opinions which have been sent to us from the 

 Provinces by the Commissioners dispersed in different 

 quarters for the reformation des Eaux et Forets, We may 

 be able, in view of the whole, to form a body of laws 

 simple, precise, and explicit, which shall dissipate all the 

 obscurity of the times past, and leave no longer any pre- 

 text or excuse to those who may do wrons". 



' For these causes, after having heard the report of 

 persons of intelligence well versed in the matter, with 



