Page:William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England (3rd ed, 1768, vol I).djvu/305

 Ch. 8. VIII. eighth branch of the king's ordinary revenue is uually reckoned to conit in the profits ariing from his forets. Forets are wate grounds belonging to the king, replenihed with all manner of beats of chae or venary; which are under the king's protection, for the ake of his royal recreation and delight: and, to that end, and for preervation of the king's game, there are particular laws, privileges, courts and officers belonging to the king's forets; all which will be, in their turns, explained in the ubequent books of thee commentaries. What we are now to conider are only the profits ariing to the king from hence; which conit principally in amercements or fines levied for offences againt the foret-laws. But as few, if any, courts of this kind for levying amercements have been held ince 1632, 8 Car. I. and as, from the accounts given of the proceedings in that court by our hitories and law books, nobody would now wih to ee them again revived, it is needles (at leat in this place) to purue this enquiry any farther.

IX. profits ariing from the king's ordinary courts of jutice make a ninth branch of his revenue. And thee conit not only in ines impoed upon offenders, forfeitures of recognizances, and amercements levied upon defaulters; but alo in certain fees due to the crown in a variety of legal matters, as, for etting the great eal to charters, original writs, and other forenfic proceedings, and for permitting fines to be levied of lands in order to bar entails, or otherwie to inure their title. As none of thee can be done without the immediate intervention of the king, by himelf or his officers, the law allows him certain perquiites and profits, as a recompene for the trouble he undertakes for the public. Thee, in proces of time, have been almot all granted out to private perons, or ele appropriated to certain particular ues: o that, though our law-proceedings are till Rh