Forest

A certain territory of wooded ground and fruitful pastures, privileged for wild beasts and fowls of forest, chase, and warren, to rest and abide in the safe protection of the prince for his princely delight and pleasure, having a peculiar court and officers. Manw. For. Laws, c. 1, No. 1; Termes de la Ley; 1 Bl. Comm. 289. A royal hunting ground which lost its peculiar character with the extinction of its courts, or when a franchise passed into the hands of a subject. Spelman; Cowell; Manw. For. Laws, c. 1; 2 Bl. Comm. 83.

A certain territory of wooded ground and fruitful pastures, privileged for wild beasts and fowls of forest, chase, and pleasure, having a peculiar court and officers. Man. For. Laws, cap. 1, num. 1; Termes de la Ley; 1 Bla. Com. 289. A royal hunting-ground which lost its peculiar character with the extinction of its courts or when the franclilse passed into the hands of a subject. Spelman, Gloss.; Cowell; Man. For. Laws, cap. 1; 2 Bla. Com. 83; 1 Steph. Com. 665.

In old English law. A certain territory of wooded ground and fruitful pastures, privileged for wild beasts and fowls of forest, chase, and warren, to rest and abide in the safe protection of the prince for his princely delight and pleasure, having a peculiar court and officers. Manw. For. Laws, c. 1, no. 1; Termes de la Ley; 1 Bl. Comm. 289. A royal hunting-ground which lost its peculiar character with the extinction of its courts, or when the franchise passed into the hands of a subject. Spelman; Cowell. The word is also used to signify a franchise or right, being the right of keeping, for the purpose of hunting, the wild beasts and fowls of forest, chase, park, and warren, in a territory or precinct of woody ground or pasture set apart for the purpose. 1 Steph. Comm. 665.

— Forest courts. In English law. Courts in-stifuted for the government of the king's forest in different parts of the kingdom, and for the punishment of all injuries done td the king's deer or venison, to the vert or greensward, and to the covert in which such deer were lodged. They consisted of the courts of attachments, of regard, of sweinmote, and of justice-seat; but in later times these couris are no longer held. 3 Bl. Comm. 71.

— Forest law. The system or body of old law relating to the royal forests.

— Forestage. A duty or tribute payable to the king's foresters. Cowell.

— Forester. A sworn officer of the forest, appointed by the king's letters patent to walk the forest, watching both the vert and the venison, attaching and presenting ali trespassers against them within their own bailiwick or walk. These letters patent were generally granted during good behavior ; but sometimes they held the office in fee. Blount.

In English law. A large extent of counti-y, generally waste and woody, belonging to the sovereign, set apart for the keeping of game for his use and diversion, and having certain laws, courts and of Scers of its own; the right or franchise enjoyed by a subject, of having a forest Forest courts: courts instituted for the government of the king's forests in different parts of the kingdom, and for the punishment of all injuries done to the king's deer or venison, to the vert or greensward, and to the covert in which such deer are lodged. Forest law: a system of law anciently established in England, for the government of the royal forests, and administered by courts and officers of its own.

In old English law. A cern territory of wooded ground and fruitful tures, privileged for wild beasts and fowls of forest, chase, and warren, to rest and abide in the safe protection of tle prince for his "princely delight and pleasure, having a pecul- Jar court and officers. Manw. For. Laws, c. 1,no. 1; Termes dela Ley; 1 BI]. Comm. 289. A royal hunting-ground which lost its peculiar character with the extinction of its courts, or When the franchise passed into the hands of a subject. Spelman; Cowell. The word ig also used to signify a franchise orright, being the right of keeping, for the purpose of hunting, the wild beasts and fowls of forest, chase, park, and warren, in a territory or precinct of woody ground or pasture setapart for the purpose. 1 Steph. Comm. _ 665.

Forests were waste grounds, belonging to the king, replenished with beasts of chase, which are under his protection. • For the preservation of the king's game there were particular laws, privileges, courts, and offices helonging to the king's forests. Part of the king's ordinary revenue consisted of fines levied for offenses against the forest laws.' See Game, 1. FOREST AIiLIlf Gr. Buying or contracting for merchandise or victual on its way to market; dissuading persons from bringing their goods or provisions there; or persuading them to enhance the price when there: any of which practices makes the market dear to the fair dealer.' So described in statute 5 and 6 Edw. VI (1552), c. 14. At common law, such practices were an offense against publip trade; otherwise, since 7 and 8 Vict. (1844) c. 24. Compare Engross, 2; Monopoly; Ee-

A waste tract' of land, belonging to for wild beasts of forest, chase, and wai Tcu, laws and courts of its own. Forest courts

[L. Lat. foresia, forestis, foreitum; from forii, or foroB, without, according to Spelman; that is, out land, or ott^^land, { pars fora Hica, seu exterior,) as lying out of the cultivated or inhabited country.] In English law. A large extent or precinct of country, generally waste and woody, belonging to the sovereign, set apart and privileged for the keeping of game for his use and diversion, {alendisferis reffiis exposiia;) not enclosed, but distinguished by certain limits and peculiarly protected by certain laws, courts and officers of its own.* Spelman, voc. Foresta. Manwood, part 2, c. 1. Termes de la ley, 2 Steph, Com, 17. 1 BL Com. 289. 1 Crabb's Real Prop, 91. § 97. Id, 484, 8 624. — A royal chase, or hunting ground.* The right or franchise enjoyed by a subject, of having a forest. 2 Steph, Com. 17. Cro. Joe. 165. 1 Crab Vs Real Prop. 484, § 624. This, however, according to Spelman, is an improper use of the word; a forest in the hands of a subject being properly a chase. Spelman, voc. Foresta, 2 Bl, Com, 38. See Chase. Lord Coke, following the Black Book of the Exchequer, makes the Lat. foresta, to be as it were feresta, from ferarum statio, a station or safe abiding place for wild animals; and the same derivation is essentially adopted by Calvin. Co. Litt. 233 a. Calv, Lex. Jur. But Spelman much more reasonably supposes it to be derived from f oris, or foras, without, as lying without and separate from the cultivated and inhabited country; being indeed abandoned to a state of nature, for the more effectual preservation and increase of the wild animals harbored within its precincts; {extraneum quiddam, et feris datum.) Spelman, voc. Foresta, Tuta ferarum mansio. Lib. Nig. Seacc. cited ibid. Hence a forest was deemed to be not of the body of any county. Spelman supposes the worA foresta to have been introduced by the Normans. The Danes and Saxons made use of the terms buc-holt, (buck- wood,) and derefald, (deer-fold.) Spelman, ub. sup. For a very recent case irvolving the definition of a forest, see 1 Wc jbi/, H. A Gordon, 21 1.