And to bring the greater number of men in danger of those his penall
lawes (a pestilent policie of a spitefull mind, and sauoring
altogither of his French slauerie) he deuised meanes how to br?ed,
nourish, and increase the multitude of d?ere, and also to make roome
for them in that part of the realme which lieth betwixt Salisburie and
the sea southward: [Sidenote: New forrest.] he pulled downe townes,
villages, churches, and other buildings for the space of 30. miles, to
make thereof a forrest, which at this daie is called New forrest. The
people as then sore bewailed their distres, & greatlie lamented that
they must thus leaue house & home to the vse of sauage beasts.
[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._ An earthquake. _Polydor._] Which crueltie,
not onelie mortall men liuing here on earth, but also the earth it
selfe might seeme to detest, as by a woonderfull signification it
s?emed to declare, by the shaking and roaring of the same, which
chanced about the 14. yeare of his reigne (as writers haue recorded.)
There be that suppose how the king made that part of the realme waste
and barren vpon a policie, to the intent that if his chance were to be
expelled by ciuill wars, and he compelled to leaue the land, there
should be no inhabitants in that part of the Ile to resist his
arriuall vpon his new returne.
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