60 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 



faithfullie collected furth of the Register and other 

 Auld authentick bukes (1609), gives the full text 

 of ' The Foresj Laws, whereof the Author is 

 alleaged to be King William, in ane auld Buke 

 pertaining to S r David Lindesay of Edzell, 

 Knicht, and ane of the Senatours of the College 

 of Justice.' Subsequent investigations have shown 

 so early an authorship to be incorrect ; but Skene 

 was himself conscious of working under certain 

 disadvantages, when he said in his preface, 

 " Quhat I have done, I remit it to thy judge- 

 ment and censure : I have travelled meikill, ane 

 lang time ; bot how profitable, I can not declare. 

 I am the first that ever travelled in this mater, 

 and therefore am subject to the reprehension of 

 many, quha sail follow after me; quhom I re- 

 quest maist friendlie to take in gude parte, all 

 my doings.' 



The laws themselves are, even for a much 

 later date than King William (1165-1214), 

 characterised by extreme leniency. They are 

 comprised within twenty-two short sections. 

 The herding or straying of cattle was for- 

 bidden in * the close or hanite parts of the 

 wood ' (silva prohibita\ ' except they have 



