84 EXTINCT BRITISH ANIMALS. 



the King, did remove them out of the sanctuary, 

 whereby they came in danger of the law, and not 

 privileged, but like to have the severity of the law, 

 which was death." But the hermit, being a holy man 

 and at the point of death, interceded for them. On 

 the loth December he senb for them and for the 

 Abbot, and in the presence of the latter forgave them 

 freely, begged that they might not suffer the penalty 

 which they had incurred, but perform, instead, a 

 penance (fully described by Blount) which he then 

 and there enjoined them ; and having uttered a 

 prayer, he sank back and died ? 



Fitz Stephen, who wrote his desci*iption of London 

 in 1 1 74 (see introduction, p. S), says that the 

 forest by which London was then surrounded was 

 frequented by Boars as well as various other wild 

 animals. 



Edward III. hunted the Wild Boar in Oxfordshire, 

 as we may infer from the following translation of a 

 record of the tenure of land in that county by the 

 service of finding the king in "boar-spears" when- 

 ever he came to hunt there : — 



"Anno 1339, 13th and 14th Edward III., an 

 inquisition was taken on the death of Joan, widow 

 of Thomas de Musgrave of Blechesdon, wherein 

 it appears that the said Joan held the moiety 

 of one messuage, and one carucate of land in 

 Blechesdon of the King ; by the service of carrying 

 one boar-spear {unam hastam porci), price twopence, 

 to the King, whenever he should hunt in the park 

 of Cornbury ; and do the same as often as the King 



