MAMMALIA 55 



during the troubles of the Commonwealth is far from im- 

 probable. 



The Royal Forest which enjoyed the greatest reputation was 

 that of Inglewood, which extended along the western side of 

 the Eden valley, from Penrith almost to Carlisle. The game of 

 this Forest was strictly cared for, and the Bishop of Carlisle 

 (who himself enjoyed hunting rights) was bound to mulct 

 offenders for trespasses. It was upon the confines of this 

 Forest that the monks of Holme Cultram cut their timber; 

 here they kept a stud of horses, and reclaimed portions of 

 waste. In 1225 the Abbot of Holme Cultram agreed to make 

 a fine of twenty marks with Henry in., in return for which he 

 was allowed to assort and cultivate, during the King's pleasure, 

 ten acres of the border of the King's wood, next the Abbot's 

 land, held of the King next Caldebec. This arrangement in- 

 volved a special proviso, that ' on the side of the said lawn of 

 Wernayl towards the forest, they shall make a low hedge, that 

 the deer may enter and go out ; and on the other side, next the 

 waters of Caldew and Caldebec, they shall make a high hedge, 

 and a good one, so that the King's deer may not get out of his 

 forest by that hedge.' 1 



On another occasion the same Abbot protested to the Sove- 

 reign that certain commoners were clearing and enclosing tracts 

 of land, to the hurt of the King's Forest, and to the injury of 

 his monks. In consequence of this complaint, the King ordered 

 Robert de Veteripont to cause the newly-made enclosures to be 

 destroyed. The Bishop, the Earl of Carlisle, and other notables, 

 enjoyed from time to time Crown grants to kill stags and bucks 

 in Inglewood. The Scottish nobles were partial to English 

 venison, and paid frequent visits to Cumberland on hunting 

 forays. The oft- quoted story of Hartshorn Tree, preserved in 

 the distich, 



' Hercules killed Hart-a-Greese 

 And Hart-a-Greese killed Hercules,' 



owes its existence to this Scottish custom of hunting the Penrith 

 country. I shall only quote the account of the event furnished 



1 Calendar of Documents relating to Scotland, vol. i. p. 162. 



