CHAP. CV.

coryla'cea:. que'rcus.

1751

cut down than to plant.” The statute of Henry VIII., c. 35., appears to bethe first on record which enjoins the “ replantation of forest trees, to cure thespoils and devastations that have been made in the woods and the plant-ations thus made appear to have been enclosed, as Tusser says in his directionsfor April, —

“ Fence coppice in,

Yer hewers begin.”

And again, —

“ Sow acornes, ye owners that timber do love;

Sow hay and fie with them, the better to prove :

If cattle or coney may enter the crop,

Young oak is in danger of losing his top.”

In the reign of Elizabeth, a work was published on Forest Law; in which itsauthor, Manwood, tells us that “ the slender and negligent execution of theforest law hath been the decay and destruction (in almost all places withinthis realm) of great wood and timber; the want whereof, as well in thispresent time as in time to come, shall appear in the navy of this realm.”(Manwood on Forest La w, c. ii. 6.) In consequence of this, or some previousrepresentations, fresh laws were enacted (13 Eliz.) for the preservation andrestoration of the royal woods. In the reign of James I. (in 1611), ArthurStandish published his celebrated Commons’ Complaint, wherein is contained twospecial Grievances; the first of which is, “ the generali destruction and waste ofwoods in this kingdome, with a remedy for the same; also, how to plant woodaccording to the nature of any soyle,” &c. To this work is appended a kindof mandate :—“ By the king, to all noblemen, and other our loving subjectsto whom it may appertain. Whereas, Arthur Standish, gentleman, hath takenmuch pains, and been at great charges in composing and publishing in a booksome projects for the increasing of woods, the decay whereof in this realm isuniversally complained of; and, therefore, we would be glad that any intentionmight further the restoring thereof; we have therefore been pleased to giveallowance to his book, and to the printing thereof. And if the same shall bewillingly received of such of the gentlemen, and others of ability, who havegrounds fitting for his projects, it shall much content us; doubting not butthat such as shall think good to make use of the book will deal worthily withhim for his pains. And we are also pleased, for the better encouragement ofthe said Standish, hereby to declare, that our pleasure is, that no person orpersons whatsoever shall print any of the said books, but for and to the useof the said Standish, and none others. Given under our signet at Andover,the first day of August in the ninth year of our reign of England, France, andIreland, and of Scotland the five-and-fortieth. God save the king.”

In the same reign (1612), another book was published, entitled “An OldcThrift newly revived; wherein is declared the manner of planting, preserving, andhusbanding young trees of divers Kindes for Timber and Fuell; and of sowingAcornes, Chesnuts, Beech-mast, the Seedes of Elmes, Ashen-keyes, &c.” Inthis work are given directions for planting acorns, and rearing and protecting theyoung trees ; and the abuses in the management of the royal woods are pointedout. The necessities of Charles I. induced him to make ruinous grants ofthe royal woods to any person who would supply him with money; and, inthe civil wars which followed, many of the forests were nearly destroyed. Inthe reign of Charles II., an order was issued under the king’s “ sign manual toSir John Norton, woodward of the New Forest, to enclose 300 acres of waste,as a nursery for young oak; the expense of which was to be defrayed by thesale of the decayed wood. This order bears date December 13. 1669. But,though the enclosure here specified was trifling in itself, yet it had the meritof a new project, and led to farther improvements.” ( Gilpin’s For. Seen.,vol. ii. p. 29.) These improvements, however, are not stated; and no per-manent regulation appears to have been made till the reign of William III.,when a statute was passed (Will. 10.) empowering certain commissioners toenclose 2000 acres in the New Forest for the growth of naval timber; and200 more every year for the space of 20 years. From this period, go-