whom reports an act of cruelty perpetrated on a householder living
in the little hamlet of Drybrook, who was struck down, and his eyes
knocked out, for refusing to give up a flitch of bacon to a foraging
party. Another legend, relative to the same neighbourhood, preserves the
memory of a skirmish called "Edge Hill's Fight," from the spot on which
it occurred. It is true that some of the neighbouring foresters suppose
it to be "the Great Fight mentioned in the almanack," an idea which might
perhaps have given rise to the story, were it not that a small stream
which descends from the place in question bears the name of "Gore Brook,"
from the human blood which on that occasion stained its waters.

The ensuing years of the Protectorate, judging from the frequent notices
in the Parliamentary Journals to that effect, appear to have been
destructive to the timber of the Forest rather than to life or property.
Frequent orders were issued by the Committee of the House of Commons
charged with the care of the Forest of Dean, forbidding the felling of
any more trees whatever, and ordering that any which had been cut down
should be sold for the benefit of the Government. The gentlemen of the
county were invited to assist herein, both by viewing any timber which
had been felled, and also by causing any of it which they judged fit to
be reserved for shipping to be brought into the stores of the Navy. Sir
J. Winter asserts that during the time of the Commonwealth above 40,000
trees were cut down by order of the House of Commons.

In 1650 the above-named Committee ordered all the iron-works to be
suppressed and demolished. Six years later a Bill was brought in and
passed, signed by the Protector Richard, for mitigating the rigour of the
Forest Laws, and for preserving the timber, which all contemporary
testimony on the subject states to have gone miserably to wreck during
the civil wars. On the 11th of May, 1659, Colonel White reported to the
House of Commons, that "upon the 3rd day of this instant month divers
rude people in tumultuous way, in the Forest of Dean, did break down the
fences, and cut and carry away the gates of certain coppices enclosed for
preservation of timber, turned in their cattle, and set divers places of
the said Forest on fire, to the great destruction of the young growing
wood." This riot was probably excited by the efforts which the
Government had recently made for the re-afforesting of 18,000 acres; to