OF SELBOENE. 409 



had a chapel in his park, or enclosure, at Kingsley. 1 

 Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and Eichard, Duke of 

 York, say my evidences, were both, in their turns, wardens 

 of Wolmer Forest; which seems to have served for an 

 appointment for the younger princes of the royal family, 

 as it may again. 



I have intentionally mentioned Edward III. and the 

 Dukes Humphrey and Richard, before King Edward II. 

 because I have reserved, for the entertainment of my 

 readers, a pleasant anecdote respecting that prince, with 

 which I shall close this letter. 



As Edward II. was hunting in Wolmer Forest, Morris 

 Ken, of the kitchen, fell from his horse several times ; at 

 which accidents the king laughed immoderately : and, when 

 the chase was over, ordered him twenty shillings ; 2 an 

 enormous sum for those days ! Proper allowances ought 

 to be made for the youth of this monarch, whose spirits 

 also, we may suppose, were much exhilarated by the sport 

 of the day; but, at the same time, it is reasonable to 

 remark that, whatever might be the occasion of Ken's 

 first fall, the subsequent ones seem to have been designed. 

 The scullion appears to have been an artful fellow, and to 

 have seen the king's foible ; which furnishes an early spe- 

 cimen of that his easy softness and facility of temper, of 

 which the infamous Gaveston took such advantages, as 

 brought innumerable calamities on the nation, and involved 

 the prince at last in misfortunes and sufferings too deplor- 

 able to be mentioned without horror and amazement. 



1 The parish of Kingsley lies between, and divides Wolmer Forest 

 from Ayles Holt Forest. See Letter IX. to Mr. Pennant. G. W. 



The church at Kingsley is a very humble structure, with a tower not 

 unlike a dovecot. Indeed the whole edifice strikingly bears out the 

 assertion of Gilbert White, that some of the Hampshire places of worship 

 make little better appearances than dovecots. ED. 



2 " Item, paid at the lodge at Wolmer, when the king was stag-hunting 

 there, to Morris Ken, of the kitchen, because he rode before the king 

 and often fell from his horse, at which the king laughed exceedingly a 

 gift, by command, of twenty shillings." A MS. in possession of Thomas 

 Astle, Esq., containing the private expenses of Edward II. G. W. 



