To the. Reader ..

Am not ignorant, (gentle Reader ) howdangerous a thing it is, to range in solarge a field, as I have here undertaken,(which is, to write of the Lawes of theForest, being soXeamed a Subjects Con-sidering how many sundry Learned Menmay be able to control me, and also how many excellentwits are able far to surpass me. But seeing that the bestable do seem to be silent in this so neceflary a matter, giveme leave, I pray you, as one that worst may, to hold theCandle, and to begin the first enterprise herein i to theend, that some other of greater judgement and learningmay inlarge and amend that which I have begun: for 'many will be willinger to amend a thing begun by ano-ther, then to begin the some themselves. The Reasons thatmoved me to undertake this business are these: First, thenecessary use and common good that may arise and growto all in general, by the publishing of this Treatise , inmaking the Forest-laws more certainly known than theywere before; seeing that so few do know those laws, andyet so many do fall into the danger thereof: Secondly,for that I do see by experience, that the Forest-laws aregrown clean out of knowledge in most places in this land;pattly for want of use, and partly by reason that there isvery little or nothing extant ofit in any Treatise by it self,but lying scattered here and there in the reports of theyears and rearms of the Common law; and in some otherancient Records remaining in sundry places, not readily£0 be cane by : by reason whereof, great injuries and

wrongs