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fherifF, calling the verderors, fhould bail the prifoncr 

 in their prefence. If the chief warden fhould be con- 

 victed of improperly refufing to bail the prifoner, treble 

 damages were given to the perfon grieved, and the warden 

 was to be further punifhed by imprifonment and fine. 



The old writ mentioned in this a6t appears in the 

 ancient regifter of writs ; and it is to be colle£led from 

 this ftatute that in very diftant times the laws of the 

 country had anxioufly provided in the cafe of perfons 

 charged with offences of the foreft, a particular remedy 

 fimilar to the writ of habeas corpus, ftill confidered as 

 one great bulwark of our liberties. 



In the fame year the king confirmed the great charter 

 of liberties and charter of the foreft ; and a ftatute was 

 made for keeping the perambulations of Edward the 

 firft, and fupplying any deficiency in thofe perambula- 

 tions. It is obfervable that this ftatute is the laft par- 

 liamentary regulation of the bounds of the foreft before 

 the arbitrary condu6l of Charles I. provoked a fimilar 

 adl. Edward the third, always obliged to his fubjeds, 

 and generally well difpofed to them, in the 43d year of 

 his reign granted a general pardon of all offences of the 

 foreft. 



In the reign of Richard the fecond, the officers of the 

 foreft appear to have attempted improper means to in- 

 fluence the verdiiSls of juries ; and it was therefore 

 enadled, in the feventh year of this king, that no jury 

 fhould be compelled, by menace or otherwife, to give 

 their verdift of trefpafs done in the foreft otherwife 

 than their confcience would clearly inform them ; but 

 that they ftiould give their verdidl upon the matter where- 

 with they fhould be charged, and in the place where 

 they fhould be charged. It was alfo provided that no 

 man fliould be taken or imprifoncd by any officer of 



the 



