or shout aloud, under penalty of being considered and punished as a thief. It has already been mentioned that another limitation of hunting permitted in the King's Forests, was that it should not take place in the night: which appears to have been the remote original of two acts for preventing persons hunting in the English woods in dis. guise in the night season; though they were also intended to preserve the national tranquillity and morals. The first of these statutes was passed in 1485, the 1st of Henry VII., chap. vii., which set forth that numbers of individuals were accustomed to hunt in the Forests, &c. of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, arrayed in a warlike manner, and baving their faces painted or covered with visors; under the disguise of which were committed murders, robberies, insurrections, &c. &c. Another act to the same effect, though of wider extent, was that passed in 1722, the 9th of George II., Chap. xxii., for the suppression of evil-disposed persons going armed in disguise; section i. of which, was especially directed against disguised hunters.

The conclusion of the Forest Charter, in its provisions of mutual observance throughout the kingdom, and saving of the rights of other Lords, greatly resembles the termination of the Second Magna Charta of King Henry III., see page 129, Chapters xlv. xlvi.; the intent and nature of which, will be found explained on pages 268, 269, of the preceding Notes. It has also been mentioned, that the Great Seal of King John having been lost in his last fatal retreat in Lincolnshire, the early Charters of his son were authenticated by the impresses of William Marshall, the Protector, and Cardinal Gualo, the Papal Legate: see page 325. Of that excellent Baron, some account will be found on page 285; and it will be remembered, that the ecclesiastic performed the Coronation of the youthful Henry III. James Gualla, or Gualo, which is said to be the modern orthography of the family of Galon, was born at Becheria, a town of Lombardy. He was educated in a Society of Canons Regular near Pavia, and was elected Bishop of Vercelli, though he was unwilling to accept of the dignity. In 1205, Pope Innocent III. created him a Cardinal, and

employed him in France against the Albigenses, and for preaching his projected crusade. After the death of King John he became Legate to England, and contributed greatly to the establishment of a peace between this country and France. Honorius III. commissioned him to reform the Clergy at Vercelli, and he was also Legate to Puglia in Naples to the Emperor Frederic II. He died there about the year 1235, in the Pontificate of Gregory IX., having the reputation of great piety, and having founded the Monastery of St. Andrew in Vercelli.

It has been already shewn that the subsequent editions of the Forest Charter, were issued as a compensation for a fifteenth by the whole kingdom; though the first appeared without any condition attached to it. In 1224, however, Louis, King of France, being willing to take advantage of Henry's minority, seized upon all the possessions of the English in that kingdom; under pretence that the young Sovereign, as Duke of Guienne, should have assisted at his Coronation. To enable him to recover those territories, Henry applied to his Parliament, and his request was answered by a demand for the renewal of the Charters, which was performed as it has been already related.

THE

CONFIRMATION CHARTER

OF

King Edward the First;

Granted November 5th, 1297,

IN THE TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF HIS REIGN.

Vide the preceding Essay, page 44.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM

DWARD, by the Grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Acquitaine, to all those whom these present letters shall hear or see;Salutation. Know ye, that of We, for the honour

God, and of the Holy Church, and for the benefit of our whole kingdom, have granted for us and our heirs.-(1.) That the Great Charter of Liberties, and the Charter of the Forests, the which were made by the common assent of all the king

dom, in the time of King Henry our father; shall be held in all their parts, without any blemish. And we will that these same Charters under our seal, be sent to our Justices, as well to those of the Forest, as to others; and to all the Sheriffs of Counties, and to all our other ministers; and to all our cities throughout the land, together with our Writs, in the which shall be contained, that they shall make public the aforesaid Charters, and declare to the people, that we have granted to them to hold them in all their particulars: and to our Justiciaries, Sheriffs, Mayors, and other ministers who are of the law of this land under us, and from us having the care of it, the same Charters in every part shall be allowed in Pleas before them, and in their giving of judgment; that is to wit, the Great Charter of Liberties as the Common Law, and the Charter of the Forest for the Assizes of the Forests only, to the amendment of our subjects.

II. And we will, that if any judgment shall be given for the future, against the ordinances of the aforesaid Charters by the Justices, or by others our officers, who, contrary to the particulars of the Charters, do hold Pleas before them, it shall be done away with, and held by none. (III.) And we will that these same Charters under our seal, be sent to the Cathedral churches throughout our kingdom, there to remain; and that they shall be twice in the year read

before the people.-(IV.) And that the Archbishops and Bishops shall pronounce the Sentence of Great Excommunication against all those who shall offend against the aforesaid Charters, by word, deed, or counsel, or in any point break or infringe them. And that these Sentences shall be denounced and published twice in the year by the aforesaid Prelates; and if the same Prelates, Bishops, or any of them, shall be remiss in the denunciation of the aforesaid, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York for the time being, shall compel and distrain them, that the denunciation shall be made in the form aforesaid.-(V.) And forasmuch as that divers people of our realm are in fear, that the aids and tasks the which they have given to us before time, for our wars and other business, of their own grant and good will, in whatever way they were made, might turn into bondage to them and their heirs, because they might at another time be found on the rolls; and likewise for the taxes which have been taken throughout the realm by our officers in our name: We have granted for us and our heirs, that we shall not draw such aids, tasks, or taxes, into a custom for any thing that hath been done heretofore, be it by roll or in any other manner that can be found.

VI. And also we have granted for us and our