Richard thefirst.

King Jchn.

Henry thethird.

Edward thefirst. '

The Preface to the Matter.

Lands ram devoured by the rvilde beasts of the King withoutany recommence for the fame to be made unto them. And thislaw of afforesting of the lands and inheritance of other mendid then dayly so increase, that the fame was thought a veryexeream heavy burden, afwel unto noble men and gentlemenas also unto the poor comminalty of this Realm to beards or thatthey might not inclose their land,nor improve the fame to theirbest profit, that was so afforested by the King, But they wereforced to suffer their said lands afforested to lie open and mtinclosed : And if any of them did chance to offend against theA fifes or Laws of the Forest, the punishment was fomtimesvery great for a small offence • and the forfeitures for thefame, according to the will and pleasure of the King,and notaccording to the quantity of the tr est ass, nor yet according tothe course of the Common Law of this Realm. And this Lawdid continue during the life of King Henry the Second. Andafter his decease,the fame continued likewise during the Reignof King Richard the First. And then after his decease, like -raise during the Reign of King John. And every one of thesaid Kings did dayly increase and make more new Forests,and more in the Lands of their Subjetts, to the great hinde -ranee and impoverishing of their Subjects.

And this mischief was not at all remedied,until the makingof the Charter of the Liberties of the Forest, which was madeby King Henry the Third : And afterwards the fame Charterwas confirmed and enlarged by King Edward the First his■Son: which Charter was made for the pacifiing of the eommi-nalty of this Realm that then were much grieved at this mis-chief And therefore,the same Charter,called Charta de Fore-fta, even in the very first Article of the fame, did provide a re-medy in that behalf in these words, Omne 5; Forest quasHenricus avus noster afforestavit videantur per benos &legales homines,& 6 boscum al'quem alium quam suu do-minicum afforestaverit,ad damrtum illius cujus botcus illesuerit, statin! deafforestentur, &!c. By which branch of the