208 THE FORESTS OF ENGLAND. 



Mr M'William supplies the following translation of 

 extracts from a law issued by Canute : 



" 1. Let there be then four men of the higher class, who 

 shall have the right, according to the customs, which the 

 English call pegened, followed in each province of my king- 

 dom, of distributing justice, and of inflicting punishment, 

 and of all matters concerning the forest, before all my 

 people, whether English or Danes, throughout all the 

 kingdom of England, which four we order to be called 

 primarii forestce, chiefs (or earls) of the forest. 



" 2. Let there be under each of these four of the 

 middling class of men (which the English call lespegend, 

 but the Danes yoong men), [and which would now be 

 called yeomen, or perhaps esquires,] who shall undertake 

 the care and custody as well of vert as of venison. 



" 3. In admininisteriug justice, these (yoong men) shall 

 not interfere in the least ; and such middling persons, after 

 having had the care of the wild animals, shall be held 

 always as gentlemen, which the Danes call ealdermen. 



*' 4. Again, under each of these, let there be two of the 

 lower class of men, which the English call lineman ; [or, 

 in our modern phrase, grooms] : these shall take the right 

 charge of vert and venison, and do the servile works. 



" 5. If any one of this lower class shall be a slave, so 

 soon as he is placed in our forest, let him be free, and we 

 therefore discharge him from bondage. 



" 6. Let every one of the primarii have every year of 

 our wardrobe (or treasury) which the English call michni, 

 two horses, one with a saddle, the other without a saddle, 

 one sword, five lances, one dagger (cuspis), one shield, and 

 two hundred shillings of silver. 



"7. Every one of the middling class, one horse, one 

 lance, one shield, and sixty shillings of silver. 



" 8. Every one of the lower class, one lance, one cross- 

 bow (arcubalista), and fifteen shillings of silver. 



" 9. Let all of them, whether of the higher, middling, or 

 lower order, be free, and quit of all provincial summons 

 and popular pleas, which the English call hundred laghe 



