OF WOODS BELONGING TO ECCLESIASTICS, &c. 13? 



administrators, rectors, and principals of colleges, hospi- 

 tals, and infirmaries, Commanders and Attorneys of the 

 Order of St. John of Jerusalem, shall be bound to cause 

 their woods to be surveyed, figured, and defined, within 

 six months, reckoned from the day of publication of these 

 presents, and to deposit within fifteen days thereafter with 

 the Registrar of the Maitrise the minutes, along with the 

 diagrams and figures, on which shall be marked tihe 

 bounds, with their just outline and distance ; if not, on 

 the lapse of six months, this shall be done at the instance 

 of our Attorneys in each Maitrise, at the expense of the 

 defaulters, who shall be constrained to make payment by 

 the seizure of their temporal goods, following the taxation 

 which we will to be made by the Grand-Masters. 



1 2. We will that, conformably to the ordinance of the 

 year 1573, confirmed by that of 1597, the fourth part, at 

 least, of the woods pertaining to bishoprics, abbeys, 

 benefices, commaderies, and ecclesiastical communities, 

 be always kept as timber forests ; and if there be not any 

 timber forest throughout the whole extent of their woods, 

 or that what there is be in extent less than a fourth part 

 of the whole, what is alacking shall be taken from their 

 coppice woods to complete this proportion, to be reserved 

 to grow as timber, the selection and measurement of 

 which shall be made by the Grand-Master in the most 

 proper places, and where the ground will best bear it; and 

 this shall be separated from the remainder of the coppice 

 woods by bounds and enclosures, and it shall be reputed 

 of such nature and quality, without its being permitted to 

 use or cut any trees, excepting in accordance with the 

 forms prescribed for timber trees. 



' 3. After the reserves have been taken off and separated, 

 the rest of the coppice woods shall be subject to regular 

 ordinary fellings of ten years ; cycle at least, with an ex- 

 press charge to leave sixteen ballweaux of mature wood in 

 each arpent, besides all trees of greater age, anciens et 

 modernes, which shall also be reckoned timber trees, and 

 as such shall be reserved in all ordinary fellings, without 



