In Walden Henry David Thoreau writes, "According to Evelyn, 'the wise Solomon prescribed ordinances for the very distances of trees; and the Roman praetors have decided how often you may go into your neighbor's land to gather the acorns which fall on it without trespass, and what share belongs to that neighbor (emphasis mine).'"
A) I guess we, as readers, are supposed to know the Evelyn is John Evelyn
B) I wonder how often I would have run amok of the praetors in my acorn gathering excursions!
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It is interesting that in times past nut gathering seems to have been customarily part of the public domain, even where private ownership of land prevailed.
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