EPPING FOREST.
ITS TREES.
" A shadie grove not farr away they spide . . .
Whose loftie trees, yclad with sommer's pride,
Did spred so broad that heaven's light did hide,
Not perceable with power of any starr ;
And all within were paths and allies wide;
With footing worne, and leading inward farr."
The Faerie Queene.
Epping Forest has no timber to show equal in
dimensions or antiquity to the rugged and
venerable giants in many of the forests of England.
The oaks of Sherwood and the New Forest, and
the beeches of Burnham, far surpass those of
Epping. Probably few of the latter date back
more than 400 or 500 years. This deficiency
is owing to the timber right, which was originally
entirely under the control of the officers of the
Crown who were charged with the preservation of
" His Majesty's vert," having been subsequently
vested in many hands, and to the abstraction for
the benefit of these persons of most of the valu-
able trees. The lord warden of the Forest for
instance and many others had perquisites in this
way, and many orders are found in the Court
Rolls, such as the following, for trees to be given