248 OF THE FOREST LAWS. 



And when it happened that any offenders entered into those 

 privileged places, and committed any trespass thereon, they had 

 very severe punishments inflicted upon them, according to the 

 laws then in force, which were very grievous and altogether un- 

 certain, according to the arbitrary and unlimited will of the king : 

 and thus those laws were executed, and their punishments con- 

 tinued, until about the year 1016, when Canutus, the Dane, 

 became king of this realm ; who, delighting much in forests, did 

 establish certain laws, or constitutions, peculiar only to forests. 

 By which it appears, that before his time, all wild beasts and 

 birds were only the kings, and that no other person might kill 

 or hurt them : the kirigs of England having, by their prerogative 

 royal, a right and privilege in such things as none of their sub- 

 jects could challenge any property in ; and such were then said 

 to be the king's, as wild beasts, birds, &c. in whose lands or woods 

 soever they were found. Whereupon the said Canutus made a 

 law, that every freeman might, at his pleasure, have and take his 

 own vert and vension, or hunt upon his own ground, or in his 

 own fields, being out of the king's chase ; but that all men 

 should forbear to have or take the king's vert or game in every 

 place where his highness should have the same. 



Also, it appears, by the laws of St. Edward, the Confessor, 

 that he did confirm the said laws of Canutus, by a sanction made 

 in his time, to this effect : That it should be lawful for every 

 one of his subjects to enjoy the benefit of his own hunting, that 

 he could any way have or make in his own lands, woods, or 

 fields ; so that he did forbear to hunt the king's game in his 

 highness's forests, or other privileged places, on pain of losing 

 his life for such offence. 



Which laws were afterwards confirmed by William the Con- 

 queror, as appears in the 27th chapter of the book, wherein his 

 laws were collected and digested ; and so were continued by him 

 all his time. 



