EOYAL CHASE OF SHIRLOT. 37 



and near which, the soil is still black, wet, and 

 boggy. A deer leap, dear loape, or saltory, was 

 a pitfall — a contrivance common during the forest 

 periods, generally at the edge of the chace, for 

 taking deer, and often granted by charter as a 

 privilege — as that, for instance, on the edge of 

 Cank, or Cannock Chace. Sometimes these pitfalls, 

 dug for the purpose of taking game, were used by 

 poachers, who drove the deer into them. It is, 

 therefore, easy to understand why the forest lodge 

 should be near, as a protection. It was usually one 

 of the articles of inquiry at the Swainmote Court 

 whether " any man have any great close within 

 three miles of the forest that have any saltories, or 

 great gaps called deer loapes, to receive deer into 

 them when they be in chasing, and when they are 

 in them they cannot get out again.'' 



Among sportsmen of these forest periods we must 

 not omit to notice the Priors of the ancient Abbey 

 of Wenlock. The heads of such wealthy establish- 

 ments by no means confined themselves within the 

 limits of the chapter-house. They were no mere 

 cloistered monks, devoted to book and candle, but 

 jolly livers, gaily dressed, and waited upon by well- 

 appointed servants ; like the Abbot of Buildwas, who 



