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Show A Difcourfe of Foreft-Trees. Chap.XXX, preferve the fpecies. zy of the Acorns had not been propagated , to > yet wasit a Chaucers Oak, thoughit were not of thefe dimenfions my moft hofrom d receiv tI very goodly Tree - And this accoun Gentleman the now (as r Fathe whole r Efg; Packe Phil. friend nourd I would which that But Park: this his Brother) was proprietor of e to which farther remark,uponthis occafion is, the bulk, and fatur ; an Oak maypoffiblyarrive within lefie the nthree bundred years fince it isnot fo long that our Poet flourith d (being in the Reigaz of Planter of King Edward thefourth) if at] aft he were indeed the r much mh labou not will J 'd. thofe Trees , as’tis confidently affirm this enquiry; becaufe an implicit faith is here of great encouragement: andit isnot to be conceiv’d what Trees of a good kind, and m’d) in apt foil, will perform ina few years 5 and this (1 am infor is a fort of gravelly clay, moiftn’d with {mall and frequent fprings. In the mean while, I have often wifh’d, that Geztlemen were more Cus rious of tranfmitting to Pofferity, fuch Records , by noting the years whenthey begin any confiderable Plantation that the Ages to come, may have both the fatisfaction, and encouragement by more accurate and certain Calculations. finda Fewifh tradition, cited bythe learned Bochart , That Noah planted the Trees (he fuppofes Cedars) of whichhe afterwards built the Ark that preferv'd him, But to proceed, — \ a. 13. There was in Cuns-burrow (fometimes belonging to my Lord of Dover) feveral Trees bought by a Couper, of which he made ten” poundper yardfoxthree or fouryards, as [have been credibly affur'd : But wherefhall we parallel that mighty Tree which furr nifh’d the A/ain-nmft to the Sovereign of our Seas , which being one hundred foot long {ave one bare thirty five inches diameter. Yet was this exceeded in proportion, andufe, by that Ozk which affords ed thofe prodigious beams that lye thwart her. The diameter of this Yree was four foot nine iwches, which yielded four-fquare beamsoffour andforty foot long eachofthem, The Oak grew ae bout Framingam in Suffolk and indeed it would be thought fabulous, but to recount only the extraordinary dimenfions of fome Timber-trees growing in that County; and ofthe exceflive fizes of thefe materials , had not mine ownhands meafur’d a Table (more then ance) of above five foot in breadth,zime andan ha/fin length, and fixinches thick , all intire and clear : This plank cut out of a Tree fell’d down bymyFathers order, was made a Pafiry-boardyand lyes nowonaframe offolid Brickwork at Wotton in Surrey,where it was fo placed before theroomwas finifh’d about it, or wall built, and yet abatedby owe foot thorter , to confine it to the intendeddimentions of the place; for atfirft, it held this breadth, fullses foot and an balfinlength, Aderfennus tells us that the Great Ship call'd the Crown , which the late French King caus'd to be built, has its Aeel-timber 120 foot long; and the Adain-waft 12 foot diameter at the bottom, and 85 in height. 1 14, To thefeI might addthat fuperannuated Evgh-tree growing 5 nowin Braburne Church-yard,not far from Scots-ha/lin Kent; vybich being Chap.XXX. A Difcourfe of Foret-Trees. being 58 foot 11 ##ches inthe circumference , will bear neer twenty foot diameter, as it was meafur’d firft by my {elf imperfectly and then more exadtly for me , by order of the Right Honourable Sir George Carteret, Vice-Chamberlain to his Majefly , and late Treafurer ofthe Navy : not to mention the goodlyplazks, and other confiderable pieces of fquar’d , and clear Timber, which I obferv'd to lyeabout it, that had been hew'd,and famz out of fome ofthe Arms on« ly, torn fromit by impetuous winds, Suchanother Atonfter 1am ins form'd is alfo to be feen in Suttoz Church-yard, neer Winchefter : But thefe (with infinite others, which Iam ready to produce) might fairly fuffice to vindicate, and aflert our Propofition, as it relates to modern examples, and {izes of Timber-trees, comparable to any of the Ancients, remaining upon laudable and unfufpected Record « wereit not great ingratitude to conceal a moft induftrious , and no lefs accurate Accompt , which comes juft now to my hands from Mr. Halton, Auditor to the Right Honourable, the moft Illuftrious and Noble, Henry Lord Howard of Norfolk. Z In Sheffield Lordfhip. 15. Inthe Hall Park, neer unto Rivelin, food an Oak which had wanes of cighteen yards without bough, or knot; and carryed a yard and %Perfons fix inches {quare at the faid height, or length , and not much big- wages intel gerneerthe root : Sold twelve years ago for 11 /i Confider F] reisialen . : diftanceofthf e place ; and Countr andd what wh fo prodigious igi paw Raw;: aT would have been worth xeer London, 4 vent — In Firth’s Farme within Sheffield Lordjbip , about twenty years fince, a Tree blown down by the wind, made, or would have made two Forge-hammer:beams, and in thofe, and the other wood of that Tree,there was of worth,or made 50/2, and Godfrey Frogat (whois cap. Bullock} now living) did oftfay, he loft 30 /. by the not buying of it. A Hammer-beamis not lefs then 7; yards long , and 4 foot {quareat the barrel, In Sheffield Park, below the Afanor , a Tree was {tanding which was fold by one Giffard (fervantto the then Counteff of Kent) for 2li. 10 5. to one Nich, Hicks; whichyieldedof fawn Wair foure teen hundred, and byeftimation, twenty Chords of wood. A Wairistwo yards long, and one foot broad , fixfcore Ed. Morphy} tothe hundred: fothat, in the faid Tree was 10080 "#4-ward: foot of Boards , which,if any of the faid Boards were morethen half-inch thick, renders the thing yet more admirable. Inthe upper end of Rivelin {tood a Tree, call'd the Lords-Oak, of twelve yards about, and thetop yielded twenty one Chord, cut down about thirteen yearsfince, ; In Sheffield Park, An,1646. {tood above 100 Trees worth 1000 4. and there are yet two worth above 20 /, frill note the place, and market, Inthe fame Park, about eight years ago , Ralph Archdall cut a Tree |
