A Difcourfe of Forefi-Trees. lo^ 



but three years before, without (pecial licenje : This was very 

 narrow --, but- let us then look on England as an over-grown 

 Country. 



6. Wood in Parks was afterwards to be four years fenced upon 

 felling : and yearling Colts ^ and Calves might be put into incloled 



Woods after two ; By the 13. Eliz,. five years , and no other Cattle 

 till fix, if the growth was under fourteen years 5 or untill eight, 

 if exceeding that age till the hUfel/ing : All which Statutes being 

 by the y^f/ of Hen. 8. but temporal, this Parliament of £/zz,. thought 

 fit to vciT^Vt perpetual. 



7. Then to prevent the deftruftive razing and converting of 

 Woods to Pafiure : No wood of two Acres, and above two fur- 

 longs from the Manjion houfe,lbould be indulg'd : And the prohi- 

 bitions are good againk Afar ts made in Forelis, (^c. without li- 

 cence : The penalties are indeed great ^ but how feldom inflidled ; 

 and what is now more eafie, then compounding for fuch a licenfe .<? 



In {ovcvcpxrts of Germany, where a fingle Tree is obferv'd to be 

 extraordinary fertile, a conftant, and plentiful Maji-bearer } there 

 are Laws to prohibite their felling without fpecial leave: And it 

 was well EnaHed amongft us, that even the. Owners oi Woods 

 within Chajes (hould not cut down the timber without view of 

 officers ^ or if not within Chafes, yet where a Common-perfon had 

 liberty of Chafe, c^c. and this would be of much benefit, had the 

 Regarders performed their duty, as 'tis at large deicrib'd in the \ 

 Writ of the 1 2 . Articles 5 and that the Surcharge ot the Forejis had 

 been honeftly infpefted with the due Perambulations, and ancient 

 Metes : Thus fhould the JuBices of Eire difpo(e of no Woods 

 without exprefs Commijfion, and in convenient places : Minuti 

 blaterones quercuum, culi, ^ curbi, as our Law terms wind-falls, 

 dotterels, firags, C^c. and no others. 



8. Care is likewife by our Laws to be taken that no unneceffary 

 Imbez,elment be made by pretences of Repair of Paling, Lodges- 

 Browje (or Deer, Sue. Windfalls, Root-falls j dead, and Sear-trees, 

 all which is fubjedt to the Infpeftion of the Warders, JuiJices, c^c. 

 and even trefpafles done de f^'iridi on boughs of Trees, Thtckett 

 and the like ^ which (as has been Ihew'd) are very great impedi- 

 ments to their growth and profperity , be duly looked after, and 

 punifhed; See Confuet. d^ Ajfif. Foreji. Pannagium, or Pajturape- 

 corum ^ de Glandibus, Fleta, d^c. Man-woods Foreji-Laws : Cook^ 

 pla.fol. ^66. It. 8.fol. 198. 



9. Finally, that the exorbitance, and increafe of devouring 

 tron-mills were looked into , as to their diiiance , and number 

 neer the Seat, or navigable Rivers 5 And what if fome of them 

 were even remov'd info another World ^ 'twere better to pur- 

 chafe all our Iron out of America , then thus to exhauft our 

 Woods at home, although (I doubt not) they might be io or- 

 der'd, as to be rather a means of conferving them. There was 

 a StatuteixOide by Queen Eliz,. to prohibite the converting of Tim- 

 ber-trees 'to Coal, or other Fuel (or the ule oi Iron- mills , if the 

 Tree were of one fopt Iquare, and growing within 14 miles of 



the 



