EPPING FOREST. 159 
from the Forest. It contains some beautiful lakes and a 
heronry. They also purchased, and added to the Forest, 
Highams Park, consisting of thirty acres, at a cost of 
£6,000, as well as a few small inclosures essential to the 
Forest. 
Though I have had occasion to criticise the proceed- 
ings of the Corporation in some particulars, they cannot 
be too warmly commended for their spirited action in 
stepping forward as champions of the rights of the 
Commoners, and in freely spending the funds entrusted 
to them by conferring upon London a pleasure ground 
of exceptional size and beauty, and of rare historic 
interest. Their conduct stands in striking contrast 
to that of the late Metropolitan Board of Works, a 
body which never stirred a finger to fight the battle 
of the public, but, on the contrary, on many occasions 
embarrassed the efforts of those engaged in the contest, 
by offering money to Lords of Manors, and by indicating 
very plainly that its sympathy was rather with them, 
than with the Commoners and the public. Amongst 
those in the ranks of the Corporation who exerted them- 
selves most actively to preserve the Forest for the 
public, should be mentioned Mr. Deputy Bedford, who 
was the first chairman of the Epping Forest Committee ; 
and the late Sir Thomas Nelson, the City Solicitor, 
who mainly guided the policy of the Corporation in 
its later stages. 
It should also be mentioned that the late Mr. 
Justice Manisty, then at the Bar, powerfully contributed 
to the complete success of the Commoners in the 
