The Preface to the Matter.

said Charter, you do fi e » that all Forejls that King Henrythe Third had made of the Lands of any of his Subjefts,whichwere not the Kims tadn demeafn Lands, are here appointedto be difajforejled again.

And again, in the third Article of th said Charter of theForest, there isjhejiery /% remedy and provision ‘ That allsucbForests Etch KmgRicbard the First, and also KingJohn had afforested ahd made of the Lands sor Woods ofanyoffus Subjects, being not the demeaFrLands of theCrown, that then all those Lands and Woods should bedisafforested again; For these a.Kings, that is to (ay , KingRich ay d the First, K .John, and K. Henry the Second? hadthen newly afforested so much of the Lands of their Sub-jects,that the greatest part of this Realm wasthen becomeForest.

And because the mischiefs,inconveniences, & burthens thatwere then laid upon the Comonalty of this Realm , were verygreat and heavy, by the means of the Laws of the Forest,therefore thefaidCharter of the Liberties of the Foreli hathnow-moderated the extreamnefs of those'Laws in a-more mildeorder , as you may perceive by the fame.

For he that doth attentively read and examine the wholeCharter of the Forest, and every Article therein, may therebypartly perceive how hard and Jharp the Laws of the forest werein times past, before the granting of the fame Charter: Andalso what inconveniences the Inhabitants in Forests did thenindure and suffer, by reason of the Forest Laws : Allwhich are now provided for , and in a measurable mannerremedied, as you may perceive by the examination of everyArticle of the [aid Charter. And whereas .the fame Charterdid allow or suffer any thing that hath fince that time been.thought to be over hard or Jharp , the fame hath 'fince againbeen moderated, as you may here perceive by those Sta~tutes that have been made since that time : So graciousand merciful have the Noble Princes of this Realm been to~wards their loving SubjettstSo that now at this day,although