12 THE FORESTS OF ENGLAND. 



In Manwood's " Forest Laws/' published in 1598, and 

 held as high authority, it is stated : " A forest is a certain 

 territory of wooddy grounds and fruitful pastures, privi- 

 ledged for wild beasts and foules of forrest, chase and 

 warren, to rest and abide in, in the safe protection of the 

 king for his princely delight and pleasure ; while territorie 

 of ground so priviledged is meered and bounded with 

 irremoveable markes, meeres, and boundaries, either 

 known by matter of record, or els by prescription. And 

 also replenished with wilde beasts of venerie or chase, and 

 with great coverts of vert for the succour of the said wilde 

 beastes to have their abode in; for the preservacion and 

 continuance of which said place, together with the vert 

 and venison, there are certen particular lawes, priviledges, 

 and officers belonging to the same, meete for that purpose 

 that are onely proper unto a forrest, and not to any other 

 place." Blackstone thus defines a forest : " Forests are 

 waste grounds belonging to the king, replenished with all 

 manner of chase or venery, which are under the king's 

 protection for the sake of his recreation and delight." 



The so-called Forest Laws of England relate to these 

 royal hunting grounds, and refer primarily to the land 

 game, and only in subordination to this to the trees 

 affording covert and shelter, excepting in recent times 

 when wood had begun to fail, and venerie or hunting, 

 though continued, had lost some of the importance attach- 

 ing to it as an amusement of kings. 



Sir Henry Spelman gives a list of the forests existing in 

 his time, and Man wood supplies similar information, from 

 which it appears that the principal English forests are 

 these : The Sherwood Forest, on the Trent ; the Dean 

 Forest, on the Severn; the Windsor Forest, on the 

 Thames; the New Forest in Hampshire, erected by 

 William the Conqueror; and that of Hampshire Court, 

 erected by Henry VIII. 



But, besides these, mention is made of upwards of sixty 



