Hunters and Poachers

Book excerpt: Hunting and poaching played significant roles in England during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Deer-hunting was an integral part of the culture of the aristocracy and gentry. It afforded not only recreation, but also served as a symbolic substitute for war and rebellion. During this period, the distinction between lawful and unlawful hunting remained unclear, for the Game Laws were obscure and difficult to enforce. Roger B. Manning's meticulously researched study explores symbolic and covert forms of protest, and adds much to our knowledge of the interaction between aristocratic and popular culture in early modern England.