78 THE NEW FOREST 



John de Ponte, and others who were under him 

 when he was steward of the Forest, despoiled 

 the Forest of five hundred beasts [ferasi] and 

 upwards, and sent the venison where they 

 wished to different parts for the said Walter 

 de Kane'. 



"For the trespass of the 500 beasts taken by 

 him at his precept taken 5000, namely, for each 

 beast 10. For other beasts which he caused to 

 be taken without number and without warrant, 

 and for the waste made by him of his bailiwick 

 as well of venison as of vert because it is not 

 possible to estimate it at the will of the King 

 and Queen. And for the trespass of the afore- 

 said malefactors by him placed there, for whom 

 he is held to answer, because they have nothing 

 at the will of the King and Queen." 



A more appalling condemnation and sentence 

 could hardly be faced by mortal man. To be 

 " at the will of the King " meant no less than 

 that your life, the lives of your family, and the 

 whole of the property of every kind that you 

 possessed, lay at the mercy of the King so-called, 

 but practically of that of the convicting Court. 

 Probably, unless extenuating circumstances could 

 be effectually urged, the sentence was carried out 

 to the full. But in any case the enormous fine 

 of 5000 at the money value of that day im- 



