THE NEW FOREST. 53 



among his English subjects, who were sullen and unruly 

 under the Norman sway. This opinion, however, seems 

 to be ill-founded, for neither William nor his successors 

 gave the slightest indication of an intention to use the 

 forest for military purposes ; and the conjecture seems to 

 have arisen among those who wished to give the Conqueror 

 a good name and conceal his cruelties, or those who, as 

 Rapin observes, think that so politic a prince as William 

 could do nothing without a political end. 



" It is certain, however, that William seized an immense 

 tract of land, which he cleared and converted into a forest, 

 and which in course of time became extended so that it 

 was bounded by Southampton Water on the east, by the 

 Avon on the west, and on the south by the channel of the 

 Isle of Wight as far as the Needles. 



"The New Forest at present contains about 66,291 

 acres, and extends over a district of 20 miles from north- 

 east to south-west, and about 15 miles from east to west. 

 It consists chiefly of open and enclosed woodland, heath, 

 bog, and rough pasture, 6000 acres are enclosed expressly 

 for the growth of timber, and about 2000 acres for other 

 purposes ; so that more than 48,000 acres consist of land 

 enclosed merely against forest cattle, but not against deer. 

 These 6000 acres are not all in one place, but scattered 

 over the forest; the largest enclosure does not exceed 500 

 acres, and their total number is from 40 to 50. All this 

 district is subject to the forest laws ; but besides the above 

 66,000 acres, there are, within the purlieus of the forest, 

 26,073 acres of freehold property, acquired at various 

 times, which are not subject. to forest law, and whose 

 proprietors claim certain rights and privileges in the 

 forest itself. 



" This wide expanse before called Ytene, or Ytchtene, 

 a name yet partially preserved was to some extent in- 

 habited, and fit for the purposes of the chase, abounding 

 in sylvan spots and coverts ; but it also included many 

 fertile and cultivated manors, which William caused to be 

 totally absorbed in the surrounding wilderness, and many 



