152 THE FORESTS OF FRANCE. 



Maitrises, and the culprits shall be punished by the Grand- 

 Master or Officers of the Maitrise, according to the rigour 

 of our ordinances. 



' 25. We order that the monasteries, governors of the 

 places, commanders of troops, seigneurs, and gentlemen, 

 shall cause to be opened the gates of towns and chateaux 

 to the Grand-Masters, Forest-Masters, Lieutenants, and 

 our Attorneys, to make any searches, quests, and proceed- 

 ings which they find meet for our service, and to deliver 

 into the hands of our Officers all accused of depredations 

 in our forests, as shall also dragoons and soldiers, passing or 

 keeping garrison, on the first requisition made to them, 

 without their being able to retain or keep back such, not- 

 withstanding all privileges, or under pretext of military, 

 police, or other justice, under penalty of charge of dis- 

 obedience, and of being answerable in their own private 

 names for the fines, restitutions, and interests involved. 



' 26. We forbid to all merchants, 'purchasers at auctions 

 of our woods, or of those of private persons contiguous to 

 our forests, and also to the proprietors of these making 

 use of them, to give of them to woodmen and other work- 

 men for their wages, under pain of being responsible for 

 all depredations which these may commit in our forests 

 during the time of their occupancy, and previous to the 

 verification of the sales ; and we forbid to the woodmen, 

 and other workmen working in our forests, to carry, going 

 out of workshops, any sawn or cleft wood, or any wood of 

 other descriptions, under pain of fifty livres fine for the 

 first offence, and punishment on repetition. 



' 27. We make it to be forbidden to all usagers, and to 

 all others, to pluck or knock down pannage and mast, and 

 other fruits of trees, to gather them, to carry them away, 

 or to do so with what may have fallen, under pretext of 

 usage or otherwise, under pain of a fine of a hundred 

 livres. 



' 28. We forbid to all merchants to peel the wood of 

 their purchase while it is standing, under pain of five hun- 

 dred livres fine and consfication. 



