2 EEMIMSCENCES OF A SPORTSMAN". 



ing, taking, and destroying birds and animals that came 

 under tlie denomination of ferce natura', was vested in 

 the king alone, and from him derived to such of his 

 subjects as had received the grants of a chase, a park, 

 or a free warren. These grants are of little avail in 

 modern times, as no person is allowed by common law 

 to trespass on the landed property of another, and 

 should he repeat the offence, after being warned off, he 

 is liable to an action at law. This applies to persons 

 who are not pursuing game, but any one trespassing 

 with a dog and gun, may, by the present game • laws, 

 be summoned to appear before a magistrate and fined. 



It is not until the irruption of the barbarous nations 

 into the Roman Empire, that we read of any other 

 prohibitions, which led to the preservation of game, 

 excepting that natural one of not sporting on any pri- 

 vate grounds without the proprietor's permission. It 

 will be found that all forest and game laws were intro- 

 duced into Europe at the same time, and by the same 

 policy that gave birth to the feudal system; when 

 swarms of barbarians issued from the north, sweeping 

 like an avalanche all resistance opposed to them, and 

 laid the foundation of most of the present kingdoms of 

 Europe on the ruins of the Western Empire. When one 

 of these barbarian generals had to make arrangements 

 for the distribution of the vanquished country to his 

 followers, his most important object would be to keep 

 all the natives of the country, who were not his military 

 tenants, in almost abject slavery, and especially to pro- 

 hibit them the use of arms by a severe law. Nothing 

 could do this more effectually than the prohibition of 

 hunting and sporting, and therefore it was the policy of 

 the conqueror to reserve this right to himself, and grant 



