The next MS. in Sir J. Caesar's collection seems designed to promote the
extension of the iron-works, and relates several interesting particulars.
It is headed "Reasons to move his Mtie to make vse and profitt of the
woodes within the fforest of Deane." The Forest woods are said to
"containe of great standing woodes, though of severall and different
sortes, 15,000 acres, parte beinge tymber, and parte other, the most
parte well sett, the lawndes not accompted. The same fforest is a forest
for waste, and of soe ill condicon for hunting, as that the preservinge
the woodes thereof will nether yield pleasure to the hunter nor profitt
to the owner; and the woodes thereupon soe subject to waste, will dayly
grow worse and worse. The fforest is for II. or III. myles vpon the
skirts soe exceedingly wasted, as well by the inhabitants as other the
borderers adiacent, that yt is grief to see soe many goodly trees to be
spoiled, the vse whereof hath bene such as yt hath converted the tymber
trees to Dotards, and that almost generally vpon the borders of the same
fforest. The liberty of makinge sale of the wood hath bred in the same
such a multitude of poore creatures, as it is lamentable to thinke soe
many inhabitants shall lyve vpon soe bare provision as vpon spoile of the
fforest woodes, wch yf in tyme yt be not forseene, will consume all his
Mties woodes without accompte. It appeareth by Recorde, that in the
raigne of Henry III., Edward I., II., and III., and longe sithence, there
were divers forges within the fforest, and noe other but the Kinge's
only; and of these there were VIII. at one tyme, as appeareth by the
accompt of Maurice de Scto Amando, and the rest were _Forgium Itinerans
ad siccum in bosco de_, _&c_. All lyberty beinge prohibited for cuttinge
of greene wood but to his Mates owne forge. And whosoever cutt greene
wood was by the officer of the Bayliwycke attached for the same. Also by
negligence of former officers the inhabitantes of the said forest have
much insulted by cuttinge of trees in the said forest, whereas by Recorde
it appeareth the Kynge's Warrant was in former tymes obtayned for
cuttinge of deade trees, and who soe cutt, shredd, or lopped great wood
wthout good warrant, was from tyme to tyme attached, presented, and made
to paye for ye same. There are, to keepe and preserve the woodes of the
said forest, tenn woodwardes, or Baylyfes of ffee, who hould Landes by
that service, viz. Per servitum cu