OF FOREST-TREES. 



279 



should be duly looked after and punished, and the great neglect of CHAP. 

 Swain-mote-courts reformed, &c. See Consuet. & Assis. Forest. Pan- 

 nagium, or Pastura Pecorum & de Glandibus ; Fleta ; Man wood's 

 Forest-laws ; Coke pla. lib. viii. fol. 138, 366. 



Finally, that the exorbitance and increase of devouring iron-mills were 

 looked into, as to their distance, and number near the seas, or navigable 

 rivers, — and what if some of them were even removed into another world, 

 the holy land of New-England — for they will else ruin Old-England. 

 It were better to purchase all our iron out of America, than thus to ex- 

 haust our woods at home, although (I doubt not) they might be so or- 

 dered as to be rather a means of preserving them. There was a statute 

 made by queen Elizabeth to prohibit the converting of timber-trees to 

 coal, or other fuel, for the use of iron-mills, if the tree were of one foot 

 square, and growing within fourteen mUes of the sea, or the greater 

 rivers. It is pity some of those places in Kent, Sussex, and Surrey 

 were excepted in the proviso, for the reason expressed in a statute made 

 23rd Elizabeth, by which even the employing of any underwood, as well 

 as great trees, was prohibited within twenty-two miles of London, and 

 many other navigable rivers, creeks, and other lesser distances from 

 some parts of Sussex-Downs, cinque-ports, havens, he 



One Simon Sturtivant had a patent from king James 1. 1612, pretend- 

 ing to save 300,000/. a year, by melting iron ore, and other metals, with 

 pit-coal, sea-coal, and brush-fuel : it is pity it did not succeed 



There are several acres of woodland, of no mean circuit, nearRochester, 

 in the county of Kent, extending as far as Bexley, and indeed for many 

 miles about Shooter's hill, near the river Thames, which, were his ma- 

 jesty owner of them, might, in a few years, be of an invaluable improve- 

 ment and benefit, considering how apt they are to grow forest, and how 

 opportune they lie for the use of the royal navy at Chatham. 



But yet to prove what it is to manage woods discreetly: I read of one 

 Mr. Christopher Darell, of Nudigate, a Surrey gentleman, that had a 



' In the neighbourhood of Sheffield, and other places, they now smelt iron ore with char- 

 red pit-coal, which answers equally well with charcoal, and comes much cheaper. 



Nn 2 



