rrens, of which some belonged to his barons, but the greatest part to
the abbots and prelates of the clergy. For hearing (as he travelled), by
complaint of the country, how these enclosures were the chief decay of
men, and of tillage in the land, he sware with an oath that he would not
suffer wild beasts to feed upon the fat of his soil, and see the people
perish for want of ability to procure and buy them food that should defend
the realm. Howbeit, this act of his was so ill taken by the religious and
their adherents, that they inverted his intent herein to another end,
affirming, and most slanderously, how he did it rather of purpose to spoil
the corn and grass of the commons and catholics that held against him of
both estates, and by so doing to impoverish and bring the north part of
the realm to destruction because they refused to go with him into
Scotland. If the said prince were alive in these days (wherein Andrew
Boord saith there are more parks in England than in all Europe, over which
he travelled in his own person), and saw how much ground they consume, I
think he would either double his oaths, or lay most of them open, that
tillage might be better looked unto. But this I hope shall not need in
time, for the owners of a great sort of them begin now to smell out that
such parcels might be employed to their more gain, and therefore some of
them do grow to be disparked.

Next of all, we have the frank chase, which taketh something both of park
and forest, and is given either by the king's grant or prescription.
Certes it differeth not much from a park; nay, it is in manner the
selfsame thing that a park is, saving that a park is environed with pale,
wall, or such like, the chase always open and nothing at all enclosed, as
we see in Enfield and Malvern chases. And, as it is the cause of the
seizure of the franchise of a park not to keep the same enclosed, so it is
the like in a chase if at any time it be imparked. It is trespass, and
against the law also, for any man to have or make a chase, park, or free
warren, without good warranty of the king by his charter or perfect title
of prescription; for it is not lawful for any subject either to carnilate,
that is, build stone houses, embattle, have the querk of the sea, or keep
the assize of bread, ale, or wine, or set up furels, tumbrel, thew, or
pillory, or enclose any ground to the aforesaid purposes within his own
soil, without his warrant and grant. The beasts of t