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See esch under its proper Article, Justice of the Forefi, Warden, Ranger, Verder, or Regarder, &c.
But the mott cfTential Mark of a Forefi is the Swain- mote, which is no lefs incident thereto, than the Court of Pye- Powder to a Fair. If this fail, it ceafes to be a Forefi, and commences a Cbace. See Chace.
The way of making a Forefi, is thus : Certain Commif- fioners, appointed under the Great Seal, view the Ground intended, and fence it round : This being reported in Chan- cery, the King caufes it to be proclaimed throughout the County where the Land lies, that it is a Forefi; and thence- forth to be govern'd by the Laws of the Forefi ; and pro- hibits all Perfons from hunting therein, without his Leave.
New Forefi, in Hampfloire, Hiftory tells us, was rais'd by the Deftruction of 22 Parifti Churches, and all the Villages, Manors, Chappeis, &c. for the fpace of 30 Miles together. Befide New Forefi, there are now fubfifting 6% Forefis in England; thirteen Chafes, and more than 781 'Parks, See Park.
Our antient Norman Kings were the firft who inclos'd Forefis, and fettled the Jurifdiction thereof: Their Tafte run mightily that way. In the Courfe of a few Reigns from the Conqueh 1 , no lels than fixty eight Forefis were inclos'd ; the flricteft Laws were made to fecure them 5 and the fe- vereft Penalties inflicted on all TrefpafTers thereon.
William the Conqueror decreed, the Eyes of any Perfon to be puh'd out, who took cither a Buck, or Boar : Wil- liam Ritfus made the Stealing of a Doe a hanging matter : The taking of a Hare was fined at so s. and a Cony at 10 s.
Eadmer adds, that fifty Perfons of Fortune being ap- prehended by the fame Prince, for killing his Bucks, were fore'd to purge themfelves by the Fire of Ordeal, &c.
Henry the Firft made no diftinction between him who kill'd a Man, and a Buck ; and punifli'd thofe who de- ftroy'd the Game, tho' not in the Forefi, either by Forteiture of their Goods, or Lofs of Limbs ; tho* Henry the Second remitted it for a temporary Imprisonment.
Richard the Firft revived the old Difcipline of gelding and pulling out the Eyes of thofe convict of hunting in the Forefi : But he afterwards relax'd a little, and was contented to make fuch Convicts abjure the Realm, or be commit- ted, or pay a Fine.
Charter of the Fores*, fee Chart a de Forefia.
Forest is alfo us'd adjectively. The Forefi Cities of the Empire are four Cities fituatein the Black Forefi, or Silva Nigra, a Part of the antient Hyrcinian Forefi ; viz. Rhin- field, Valdfimfi, Seckinghen, and Lauffemhourg. But, now that the Bounds of the Slack Forefi are contracted, thefe Cities are out of the Limits thereof.
Forest Law. The Forefi Laws are peculiar Laws, dif- ferent from the common Law of England. See Law.
Before the making of Charta de Forefia, Offences com- mitted therein, were punifli'd at the Pleafure of the King, in the fevereft manner • and even in the Charter were fome grievous Articles, which the Clemency of later Princes have fince by Statute thought fit to alter Per Jlfiifas Forefia.
Yet to this Day, in Trefpaftes relating to the Forefi, Vo- luntas repiuabitur pro fatlo; fo that if a Man be taken hunting a Deer, he may be arrefled, as if he had taken a Deer. The Forefter may take, and arreft a Man, if he be taken either at 2)eg-draw, Stablefiand, Sack-hear, or Sloody-hand ; notwithstanding that three of thefe be only Preemptions. See Dog- draw, Stable-stand, &c.
FORE-STAFF, an Inftrument us'd at Sea, for taking the Altitudes of heavenly Bodies. See Altitude.
The Forc-flajf, call'd alfo Crofs-fiajf, takes its Denomi- nation hence, that the Obferver, in ufingit, turns his Face towards the Object; in contradiction to Sack-fiaff, where he turns his Back of the Object. See Back-staff.
The Fore or Crofs-fiajf, reprefented in Tab. Navigation. Fig.14.. confifts of a ftraight, fquare, graduated Staff, A B, and four Croftes, or Vanes F F, E E, D D, C C, which Aide thereon.
The firft, and fhorteft of thefe Vanes F F, is called the Ten-crofs, or Vane, and belongs to that fide of the Inftru- ment, whereon the Divifions begin at three Degrees, and end at 10. The next longer Vane E E is call'd the thirty Crofs; belonging to that Side of the Staff, wherein the Di- vifions begin at xo Degrees, and end at 30, called the thirty Scale. The next Vane D D is call'd the fixty Crofs, and belongs to the Side where the Divifions begin at 20 Degrees, and end at 60. The laft, and longeft, C C, call'd the nine- ty Crofs, belongs to the Side whereon the Divifions begin at go Degrees, and end at 90.
Ufe of the F o r e s t a v f.
The great Ufe of this Inftrument, is to take the Heights of the Sun, and Stars, or the Diftance of two Stars : And the Ten, Thirty, Sixty, or Ninety Croflbs are to be us'd according as the Altitude is greater, or letter $ that is, if
the Altitude be lefs than 10 Degrees, the Ten Crofs to be us'd; if above ten, but leffer than 30, the Thirty Crofs to be us'd, &c.
Note, for Altitudes greater than Co Degrees, this Inftru- ment is not fo convenient as a Quadrant, or Semi-cj r d e . See Quadrant.
To ohferve an Altitude by the Forestaff; Apply the flat End of the Staff to your Eye, and look at the upper End b of the Crofs lor the Centre of the Sun or Star, and at the lower End a for the Horizon. If you fee the Sky in- ftead of the Horizon, Hide the Crofs a little nearer the Eye j and if you fee the Sea, inftcad of the Horizon, Hide the Crofs further from the Eye: And thus continue mov- ing, till, you fee exactly the Sun or Star's Centre by the Top of the Crofs h, and the Horizon by the Bottom there- of, a.
Then the Degrees, and Minutes cut by the inner Edge c of the Crofs upon the Side of the Staff peculiar to the Crofs you ufe, is the Altitude of the Sun, or Star.
If it be the Meridian Altitude you want, continue your Oblervation as long as you find the Altitude increafe ; {till moving the Crofs nearer to the Eye. See Meridian.
By lubftracting the Meridian Altitude thus found from 50 Degrees, you will have the Zenith Diftance.
To work accurately, an Allowance muft be made for the Height of the Eye above the Surface of the Sea ; viz. for one Englifh Foot, 1 Minute ; for five Foot, i~ ; for ten Foot, 5^ ; for twenty Foot, 5 5 for forty Foot, 7, &c.
Thefe Minutes fubtracted from the Altitude obferv'd ; and added to the Zenith Diftance obferv'd; give the true Alti- tude, and Zenith Diftance.
To obferve the Tiifiance of two Stars, or the Moons 7)i- fiance from a Star, by the Forestaff; Apply the Inftru- ment to the Eye ; and looking to both Ends a and b of the Crofs, move it nearer, or farther from the Eye, till you fee the two Stars ; the one on the one End, and the other on the other End of the Crofs. Then the Degrees and Minutes cut by the Crols on the Side proper to the Vane in ufe, give the Star's Diftance.
FORESTAGE, Forestagium, in our antient Cuftomsj an obfolete Duty, or Service, paid by the Forefters to the King.
In Sritany, Lobineau obferves, the Office of Forefters was held by Gentlemen of the firft Rank, who for their Forefiage were oblig'd to furnifh the Lord, when he kept open Houfe, with Cups and Spoons.
Forefiage alfo feems to have been us'd for" a Duty, pay- able to the King's Foreficrs. Et Jint quieti de T'heohntOy £j tPa/fagio, g? de Foreftagio, Sic. Chart. Edu. 1.
It may likewife be taken for a Right to ufe the Foreft $ or, a taking of reafonable Eftovers. See Estover.
FORESTAL, or Forstai:, in Domefday wrote Forifiel, is an intercepting in the Highway ; or flopping, or even in- flating a Pa/Tenger therein.
Spelman defines it an Obftruction, or fhutting up of the King's Highway.
In the Laws of Hen. I. the Scnfe of the Word is thus explain'd : Forefial efi, ft qtiis ex tranfuerfo incurrat, vel in viam expetlet, £=? affaliet mimicum fuum.
The Word is form'd of the Saxon Fore, before ; and Stal, Journey, Road.
FORESTALLER, a Perfon who forefials the Market, or buys up Goods upon the Road. See Forestalling.
FORESTALLING, the buying, or bargaining for Corn, Cattle, or other Merchandize, by the Way, before it reaches the Market, or Fair, to be fold ; or by the Way, as it comes beyond the Sea's, or otherwife, toward any City, Port, Haven, or Creek of this Realm ; with defign to take Ad- vantage thereof, and fell it again at a more advane'd and dear Rate. See Regrator, and Engrosser.
Forefialling is particularly us'd in Crompton, for flopping a Deer broken out of the Foreft, and preventing its re- turning home again; or, a lying between him. and the Fo- reft, in the Way he is to return.
Fleta fays, it fignifies ObfiniBionem vi<e, vel impedimen- tum tranfims £S? Fttgee averiorum.
FORESTER, a fworn Officer of the Forefi, appointed by the King's Letters Patent, to walk the Foreft, and to watch the Vert, and Venifon ; as alio to attach and prefent all TrefpafTers againft both, within his Bailiwick or Walk, to the Foreft Courts ; to be punifli'd according to their Of- fences. See Forest.
Tho' the Letters Patent of a Forefier be ordinarily only granted, qitam din bene fe gefferint; yet they are granted to fome, and their Heirs; who are hereby calleft Forefiers in Fee. See Fee.
Sir William Temple relates, that the Franks having fub- dued all Gaul, their Princes redue'd Flanders into a kind of Government; and gave the Quality of Forefier, with part of the Province, to the bravefl of their Captains.
This
