20 .DEER AND DEER PARKS. Ch. I. 



from rojial And.noble persons to their dependents, the knightly,'and gentle 

 keepers, of parks. 



Gradually, and in proportion to the increasing power of the subject, and 

 in inverse ratio to the decrease of the forests and wastes of the realm, which 

 were generally held from the Crown by the greater nobility at the pleasure 

 of the reigning sovereign, the impaled parks of England increased to a 

 considerable extent, though restrained by the license for enclosing, which 

 the laws rendered ever essential, and which the Commons, as appears by 

 the Rolls of Parliament, in the sixth of Henry IV. (A.D. 1404), endeavoured 

 unsuccessfully, to abrogate. At this period, by far the larger number of 

 the parks throughout the realm were held directly under the Crown, a large 

 proportion were still the inheritance of the Church, the remainder divided 

 between the different orders of the greater and lesser nobility, the latter 

 including the knightly and gentle families of England. 



The following letters, written by command of Queen Margaret of Anjou, 

 may not be out of place here : — 



'By the Queene.' ' To the Keeper of C Park of Apechild' or his Depute 

 there.' ' Wei beloved, we wol and expressly charge you that, for certain 

 considerations moving us, our game within our pare of Apechild, wherof ye 

 have the saufe garde and keping, ye do, with all diligence, to be cherishsed, 

 favered, and kept, without suffryng eny personne, of what ilegre, estat, or 

 condicion that he be, to hunte there, or have course, shot, or other disporte, 

 in amentising" our game above said, to th' extent that, at what tyme it shall 

 please us to resorte thedor, yo'' trew acquital may be founden for the good 

 keping and replenishing therof, to th' accompissement of o' intencion in this 

 partie. And that in no wise ye obeie ne serve eny other warrant, but if 

 hit be under our signet, and signed with o'' owne hande. And if eny 

 personne presume t' attempte to the contrarie of the premisses, ye do. 



' Apchild, or Abfield, in the parish of Gt. ' Amantise, amortize, alienate? 



Waltham, Essex. 



