he chase were commonly
the buck, the roe, the fox, and the martern. But those of venery in old
time were the hart, the hare, the boar, and the wolf; but as this held not
in the time of Canutus, so instead of the wolf the bear has now crept in,
which is a beast commonly hunted in the east countries, and fed upon as
excellent venison, although with us I know not any that feed thereon or
care for it at all. Certes it should seem that forests and frank chases
have always been had, and religiously preserved in this island, for the
solace of the prince and the recreation of his nobility: howbeit I read
not that ever they were enclosed more than at this present, or otherwise
fenced than by usual notes of limitation, whereby their bounds were
remembered from time to time for the better preservation of such venery
and vert of all sorts as were nourished in the same. Neither are any of
the ancient laws prescribed for their maintenance before the days of
Canutus now to be had, sith time hath so dealt with them that they are
perished and lost. Canutus therefore, seeing the daily spoil that was
made almost in all places of his game, did at the last make sundry
sanctions and decrees, whereby from thenceforth the red and fallow deer
were better looked to throughout his whole dominions. We have in these
days divers forests in England and Wales, of which some belong to the
king, and some to his subjects, as Waltham Forest, Windsor, Pickering,
Fecknam, Delamore, Gillingham, Kingswood, Wencedale, Clun, Rath, Bredon,
Weir, Charlie, Leicester, Lee, Rockingham, Selwood, New Forest, Wichwood,
Hatfield, Savernake, Westbury, Blacamore Peak, Dean, Penrise, and many
others now clean out of my remembrance; and which, although they are far
greater in circuit than many parks and warrens, yet are they in this our
time less devourers of the people than these latter, sith, beside, much
tillage and many towns are found in each of them, whereas in parks and
warrens we have nothing else than either the keeper's and warrener's
lodge, or, at least, the manor place of the chief lord and owner of the
soil. I find also, by good record, that all Essex hath in time past wholly
been forest ground, except one cantred or hundred; but how long it is
since it lost the said denomination, in good sooth I do not read. This
nevertheless remaineth yet in memory, that the town of Walden in Essex,
standing in the limits of the aforesaid county, doth take her name
thereof. For