258 OF THE FOREST LAWS. 



and after such inquisitions taken, the certainty was made known 

 by matter of record, which were the old and which were the new 

 forests. Nevertheless, the greater part of the new afforestations 

 were still remaining to be disafforested during the life of king 

 Henry III. 



After whose decease, Edward I. his eldest son, succeeded 

 him unto the crown, who, being often besought, and petitioned 

 as well by the nobility as commonalty of this kingdom, to con^ 

 firm the aforesaid liberties, which his father had granted, was 

 graciously pleased to confirm the same according to his request. 

 And now all things having been granted, performed, and con- 

 firmed concerning the said two charters, viz, Magna Charta, and 

 Charter de Foresta, the same were delivered, signed, sealed, and 

 confirmed, to the sheriff of London, to be proclaimed, which 

 was accordingly done in St. Paul's church yard, in the pre- 

 sence of a numerous concourse of people there met together. 

 Whereupon the lords and commons soon after began to put the 

 king in mind of granting commissions to persons fitly qualified 

 for the same, that perambulations might forthwith be made for 

 all new afforestations, that they might be disafforested, accord- 

 ing to the first and third articles of Charta de Foresta. 



Whereupon three bishops, three earls, and three barons, were 

 appointed by the king to take care of and see those perambula- 

 tions performed, who caused them to be made accordingly, and 

 inquisitions to be taken thereupon, and returned into the court 

 of chancery ; whereby the king was ascertained, what woods and 

 lands were ancient forests, and what were newly afforested ; and 

 caused all those that were ancient forests, to be meered and 

 bounded with irremovable boundaries, to be known by matter 

 of record for ever. And likewise those woods and lands that 

 had been newly afforested, the king caused to be separated from 

 the old, and to be returned into chancery by marks, meers, and 

 bounds to be known, in like manner, by matter of record, for ever. 



