42 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



forest offences, and the general administration of 

 the royal forests. 



At the time a Regard was made particular in- 

 quiry was held into the number of dogs kept, and 

 as to whether the owners of mastiffs had complied 

 with the law as to ' expeditation ' or mutilation 

 of the forefeet to prevent them chasing the deer ; 

 and they had to see this barbarous operation 

 performed, when necessary. Every farmer and 

 freeholder dwelling in a forest was allowed to keep 

 a mastiff, but it had to be expeditated or lamed 

 by maiming. This * laming of dogs ' was more 

 anciently called hambling, hoxing, or hock-sinewing, 

 when the back sinew was cut so as to lame them 

 in the hind-quarters ; but King Henry II. intro- 

 duced the system of * expeditating ' their forefeet. 

 The law declared that three claws of a forefoot 

 were to be cut off by the skin; and this was 

 done by making the poor dog set one of his 

 fore-feet upon a block of wood a foot square and 

 eight inches thick, setting a chisel of two inches 

 broad upon the three claws of the foot, and 

 striking them off at a blow. None but expedi- 

 tated mastiffs and little dogs might be kept 

 within the forest; unmaimed mastiffs, grey- 



