ANCIENT AND MODERN FORESTRY 21 



important and clearly-defined position side by side 

 with the common law. Special justices were ap- 

 pointed to accompany the circuits of the ' Justices 

 in Eyre,' of whom more will shortly be said. 

 After the Council of Clarendon a general visitation 

 of the whole country was made by two Justices in 

 1166. In 1175 Henry made a personal visita- 

 tion of his forests in Nottinghamshire, and even 

 exacted large fines for the destruction of vert 

 and venison which he had himself authorised 

 during the then recent time of war. He was in evil 

 temper about his forests, and just before this 

 shameless demand he hanged four knights at 

 Lichfield who had slain one of his foresters, no 

 doubt after much oppression and provocation. 



If Richard Coeur-de-Lion had not spent most 

 of his reign in crusading, history would probably 

 have had much to say about a recrudescence of 

 savagery in the administration of the Forest 

 Laws. He loved the chase, and revived the 

 older laws, though in a somewhat relaxed form ; 

 but he had the merit of ordering the punishment 

 of forest offences by fine only, in place of such 

 barbarous mutilations as loss of eyes and cut- 

 ting off of hands and feet. Even the clergy, un- 



