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ofFenders to fevere penalties, and killing to a forfeiture of 

 double the value of the bealb Chacing a ftag to penalties 

 more fevere ; but killing this royal animal was fo high an 

 offence that by it a gentleman loft his rank, a yeoman loft 

 his liberty, and a flave his life. Bifhops, abbots, and the 

 king's barons (a term which, has been deemed evidence 

 that the Latin example which we have of thefe conftitu- 

 tions is a tranflation made after the conqueft) were not to 

 be impeached for merely hunting in the foreft if they did 

 not kill a royal beaft, but for that offence they were 

 fineable at the king's pleafure. Felling or lopping the 

 king's timber or underwood, without licenfe of one of the 

 chief forefters, was punifhed by fine. A yeoman could 

 not keep greyhounds near the foreft ; a gentleman might 

 (within ten miles of the foreft) if they were lawed. Dogs 

 of other fpecies, under the fame reftridlion, might be kept 

 by any perfon. Law'nig^ or exped'itation, was a foreft-term 

 for difqualifyinga dog to exert fuch fpeed, as was siecefTary 

 to take a deer. It was performed either by cutting out 

 the fole of his foot, or by taking off two of his claws by a 

 chiflel, and mallet. But if any dog trefpaffed in the foreft, 

 the owner was fubje6l to punifhment, which, in cafe of 

 the death of the ftag, was fevere. Canute by his general 

 code of laws confirmed to his fubjcdls full right to hunt 

 in their own lands, provided they abftained from the royal 

 forefts. But he feems to have been very jealous of the 

 pleafures of the chace. 



Such were the laws of the foreft eftablilhed by the Danifh 

 monarch ; and it muft be admitted that they were not 

 mild. But the feverity of criminal law is not the dif- 

 tinguifhing mark of defpotifm. It is too often the vice of 

 a free government, where punifhment can only follow 

 clear demonftration of guilt. Thefe laws were probably 

 executed with fomc rigour during the reigns of Canute and 



b 2 his 



