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only ufe for his purpofe the ordinary courts of the foreft. 

 He fummoned however all their powers to his afliftance; 

 and the hiftory of the eyres made in his reign (hews that 

 thofe powers might be oppredively exerted. 



TrefpafTes on waftes cannot be prevented but by great 

 attention. The firft trefpalTer is criminal — His a6l is a 

 robbery — But if thofe who fhould punifh it fufFer it to 

 remain, their forbearance gives confidence in his title. 

 He is permitted to go to market with the fruit of his 

 crime ; and time having involved that crime in obfcurity, 

 thofe who fucceed to his pofTeflion cannot be deemed par- 

 ties to it. To punifh fuch for having purchafed what 

 could not have been offered to fale if thofe who ought to 

 have prevented the trefpafs had done their duty, is the 

 extreme of rigour. 



" If 'tis Our fault to give the people fcope, 

 ** It is our tyi-anny to ftrike, and gall them 

 *' For what we bid them do — For we bid this, 

 *' Where evil deeds have their permilTive pafs, 

 " And not their punifhment." 



But the obje£l of Charles was not to punifli the crime. 

 It was principally to extort revenue independent of the 

 grant of parliament ; and for this purpofe various fchemes 

 were fiiggefted by his advifers, and his fubjeds were 

 tortured and oppreffed, with little advantage to the royal 

 coffers. 



The patience which had fufFered long was exhaufted ; 

 and Charles, after an attempt to reign without a parlia- 

 ment, was compelled to call the memorable affembly 

 which at length ufurped all the powers of government, 

 and put the king to death. Whilfl this parliament adled 

 within due bounds, it paffed, amongfl other regulations, 

 a flatute of which the principal objecl was to give efFc6l 



to 



