14 OUR FORESTS AND WOODLANDS 
confiscation of the property of those who had 
fought unsuccessfully, under King Harold, against 
the Normans at the battle of Hastings. 
The new doctrine was also at the same time 
introduced, that hunting was a pastime of kings, 
and that the right of pursuing and taking beasts 
of chase and venery, and all other animals 
accounted as game, belonged only to the king, 
or to such alone as were authorised by him to 
exercise a privilege in this respect. All such 
animals were held to be bona vacantia or ‘ owner- 
less property,’ and therefore belonged to the king 
by royal prerogative. Thus, under the principles 
of the feudal law, the king had the right of pur- 
suit and capture anywhere, while the common 
law was manipulated by forgery of the supposi- 
titious charter of Canute in such a way as to 
convey a sole and exclusive right in them to 
the king and to persons authorised by him. 
This usurpation of presumed royal rights under 
English common law and the introduction of 
feudal principles were exercised with ruthless 
rigour and cruel harshness. Not only did the 
ancient royal woodlands become jealously-pre- 
served crown forests, but large tracts of land 
