ABSTRACT
Forests, streams, and ponds were an important source of income to any seigneur fortunate enough to possess such resources, and all medieval kings attributed great importance to their forests. To prevent poaching and to administer sales of wood and other sources of revenue, the French crown employed a variety of forestry officials. A well-established local administrative structure was in place throughout the 13th century. Beginning with the reign of Philip IV, the system became more centralized. In March 1302, a royal ordinance on the administration of eaux et forêts established a two-tiered structure of "masters" and "guards." Officials in the field reported to Villepreux, who traveled extensively to investigate the forest administration and eliminate abuses. The oldest beast epic known to us today, the 11th-century Ecbasis captivi is an important example of the genre. Written in Latin leonine hexameters, the text exists in two manuscripts, both now in the Royal Library, Brussels.
