220 THE FORESTS OF ENGLAND. 



By the laws of Canute people had been prohibited from 

 entering the royal forests, and, as has been shown, the forest 

 might include the lands of private individuals. The free- 

 hold of such lands remained in the hands of the proprietor, 

 but the forest laws were in force there as in other parts 

 of the enclosure. By this charter all such lands were 

 released from these, and only the royal demesne remained 

 subject to their rule. Of the necessity which there was 

 for these, and of the amelioration which followed, which, 

 though not perfect, was great. Care supplies some interest- 

 ing illustrations. 



The Charta de Foresta was confirmed in the same year 

 with the Magna Charta, viz., anno 9th, Henry III., and it 

 was confirmed in the SSth year of Edward I., and pub- 

 lished with ecclesiastical denunciations by the bishops 

 against all who should break either of these charters, 

 copies of which denunciations are also given by Care. 



Much interesting information is embodied in Manwood's 

 treatise of the Laws of the Forest, &c., already referred to. 

 Amongst other things it appears, that in the legal phraseology 

 of the sixteenth century, vert is the arborescent vegetation 

 of the forest shrubs and trees ; game, the beasts of the 

 forest ; and venison, the beasts of the field. They are thus 

 distinguished : 



" Beasts of the forest make their bed during the day in 

 the coverts; and in the night season betake themselves to 

 the pleasant feeding," and such, according to him, are the 

 beasts of the venerie the hart, the hind, the hare, the boar, 

 and the wolf. 



" Beasts of the field lie all the day in the field, and upon 

 the hills and mountains, where they can see, and eat 

 during the night. They are the beasts of the chase the 

 buck, the doe, the fox, the marten and roe." These con- 

 stitute the venison. 



The author, holding enthusiastically to the legal use of the 

 designation forest, as if it were that which in all ages and 

 in all lands must have regulated the use of it in all 



