"
[End of Footnote]
The forty-day court was common to all the ancient forests
of Britain; and that they go back to _before_ the time of
Henry III. is clear from the following extracts from Coke's
Fourth Institute, for which I am indebted to the kindness
of James G. Wood, of Lincoln's Inn.
CAP. LXXIII.
Of the Forests and the Jurisdiction of the Courts
[p 289] of the Forest.
* * * * * * *
And now let us set down the Courts of the
Forests--Within _every_ Forest there are these
Courts
1. The Court of the Attachments or the Woodmote
Court. This is to kept before the
Verderors every forty days throughout the year
--and thereupon it is called the Forty-day
Court--At this Court the Foresters bring in
the Attachments de viridi et venalione [&c &c]
* * * * * * *
2. The Court of regard or Survey of days is
holden every third year [&c &c]
* * * * * * *
3. The Court of Swainmote is to be holden
before the Verderors as judges by the Steward of
the Swainmote thrice in every year [&c]
* * * * * * *
4.
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