to8 ADifiOttrfeof Foreft-Trees. 



exceWent Lan>sSov the planting, fecurif7g^ cutting, and orderiffg o^ 

 f^'oods, Copfcs, and Vnder-vpoods ^ as then they took cognizance 

 gf them ; together with the feveral penalties upon the Ififrittgers ^ 

 oCjecially from the 2^.o( Hen. B.ij.^c. confirm'd by the 15. 

 ajtui, 37. of Qi £//!&. <•/»/'. 25. 19. c^f. which are diligently to be 

 confuited, revived, put in execution , and enlarg'd where any 

 defeft is apparent j as in particular the JCf of exempting of Tim- 

 ber of 22 years growth from T/the, for a longer period, to render 

 Jficompleat, and more effedual to their Improvement : And that 

 XiJir repealed, by whichWil/owsy Sal/ows, OziersySic. which they 

 term Sub-bois, are reputed but as Weeds. 



3. Sc\ exci punipments have lately been ordain'd againft our 

 Wood-flealers, deftroyers of young Trees, ^c. I cannot (ay they 

 are {harp ones, when I compare the feverity of our Laws againft 

 Mare-Jiealers :, nor ami by inclination the leaft cruel j But I do af- 

 firm, we might as well live without Mares , as without ships^ 

 which are our tVooden, but no lefs profitable Horfes. 



4. I have heard, that in the great Expedition of 88, it was ex- 

 pT^fly enjoyn'd the Spanijh Commanders of that fignal Armada. 5 

 that if when landed they (hould not be able to fubdue our Nati- 

 on, and make good their Concfneji '^ they (hould yet be fare not 

 to leave a Tree (landing in the Forefi of Dean : It was like the Po- 

 licy of the Philijiines, when the poor Ijraelites went down to their 

 Enemies Smiths to fharpen every man his Tools 5 for as they ("aid, 

 leji the Hebrews make them Swords, or Spears -^ fo thefe, kji the 

 Englifj bmidthem Ships, and Men of War : Whether this were fo, 

 or not iy certain it is, we cannot be too jealous for the prefervati- 

 on of our Woods ^ and cfpecially of thofe eminent, and with care 

 inexhauftible Magazines : I dare not fuggeft the encouragement 

 of a yet farther rejiraint, that even Proprietors them(elves (hould 

 not prefume to makehavock offome of their own Woods , to 

 feed their prodigality, and heap/«e/ to their vices 5 but it is wor- 

 thy of our obfervaiion, that (in that in-imitable Oration, the fe- 

 cond philippic) Cicero does not fo (harply reproach his great Anta- 

 goniji for any other of his ex^rrfz^^ig^wf/e/ (which yet he there enu- 

 merates) as for his wajiefnl difpcfure of certain Wood-lands be- 

 longing to the Commonwealth , amongft his jovial Bravo' s, and 

 Icud companions ; tua ijia detrimenta Junt (meaning his £>e* 

 bauchts) ilia nojira ^ fpeaking of the Timber. 



5. But to the Laws : it were to be wi(h'd that our tender, and 

 improvable Woods, (hould not admit of Cattle,hy any means, till 

 they were quite grown out of reach ^ the Statutes which connive 

 at it, in favour of Cujiom, and for the (atisfying of a few clamo- 

 rous, and rude Commoners, being too indulgent ^ (ince it is very 

 evident that lefs then a 14 or 15 ye^xx^enclojurc is, inmoft places, 

 too foon i and our moft material Trees would be of infinite more 

 worth and improvement, were the Standards fu(fcr'd to grow to 

 Timber, and not (o frequently cut , at the next Felling of the 

 Wood^ as the general cuf^om is. In 22. Edw. 4. the liberty ar- 

 riv'd but to feven years after a felling of a ForeH or Purlieu , and 



but 



