240 THE SHOOTER'S GUIDE. 



GENERAL OBSERVATIONS, 



CHIEFLY ARISING FROM THE CONSIDERATION 

 OF THE GAME LAWS. . 



THE rigour of these laws in time became insup- 

 portable, and gave rise to the Charta de Foresta, by 

 which many forests became disafforested, and milder 

 regulations made with respect to those which re- 

 mained. It is true, succeeding monarchs reserved 

 to themselves the forests, and the exclusive right of 

 hunting therein ; but they found it consistent with 

 their interest to grant, from time to time, tracts of 

 land to their subjects, under the denomination of 

 chases or parks, or allowed them to make such on 

 their own grounds, which of course became smaller 

 forests in the hands of a subject, but not governed 

 by forest laws ; and, according to the common law 

 of England, no person is allowed to take or kill any 

 beast of chase, unless he hath an ancient chase or 

 park, or the beast of chase so killed was also a beast 

 of prey. The beasts of chase, however, in this 

 country, are few in number ; and dangerous animals, 

 such as wild boars and wolves, have long been ex- 

 tinct; in fact, even deer are now chiefly confined to 

 gentlemen's parks, very few being left in the king's 

 forests. 



In a legal sense, a forest is a certain territory of 

 woody grounds and fruitful pastures, privileged for 



