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Show Chap.XXXV, A Difcourfe of Foreft-Trees. 18, But leaft this be charg’d with Saperftition , becaufe the 244 Inftances are Heathen : It wasa morenoble and remarkable, as well as recent Example, when at the Siege of Breda, the late Fa- mous General Spinola Commandedhis Army not to violate a Tree of acertain Wood belonging to the Prince of Orange there, though a reputed Traytor , and imopen defiance with his Mafter. In fum, weread, that when Aéithridates but deliberated about the cutting down of fome ftately Trees which grew nearPatara, & City of Lycia, thoughneceflitated to it for the building of Warlike Engines withthem, being terrifi'd ina Vifion, he defifted from his purpofe. It were to be wifh’d thefé, or the like Examples, might have wroughtfome Effeés upon the Sacrilegious Purchafers , and difloyal Invaders in this Jron-Age among{tus, who have lately made fo predigious a fpoyl of thofe goodly Forefts, Woods , and Trees (to gratifie an impious and unworthy 4varice ) which being once the Treafure and Ornament of this Nation , were doubtle(lé referved by our more prudent Anceffors for the repairs of our floating Cafiles, the fafeguard and boaft of this renownedIfland, when Neceffity, or fome imminent Veril fhould threaten it, or call for their Affiftance ; and not to be devoured by thefe improvident Wretches, who, to their eternal Reproach, did ( with Que sbifo the Royal Patrimony ) {wallow likewife Gods own Inheritance ; but farm penas whofe Sons and Nephews we have liv’d to {ee haftily difgorge them ae again; and with it all the reft of their Holy Purchafes > which otherwife they might fecurely have enjoy’d. oan ohne dignant. Butthis, # terro- rem onely, and for Caution to Pofterity, whiles we leave the Guilty, andthofe who have done the Mifchiefs, to their proper Profternit quercum fune- Scorpions, and to their Eri fchthonian-fate, or that of theea inexora; fam quam 6i ble Parebius, the vengeance of the Dryads, andto their Twtelar Nympha pigno- better Genius, if any yet remain, who love the folid Honour and i “ Ornament of their Countrey : For what could] {ay leffe, “raoyevie, KG “ ~ . cr. = ae am * at wootonin and ®* Wood-bornasI am, inbehalf of thofe Sacred Shades, which our Nation¢ Fot both grace our Habitations,and A Protect Eo o in all ages Ds ee From Tees have been denominated whole Countreys,Regions,Cities and Towns $ as Cypariffa in Greece, Cevafiis in Pontus, Lanventumin Italy, Myrrbimis in Attica. Ports, Mountains and eminent Places; as the Viminalis, 7Efeuletum, &c. The reafon is obvious, from the fpontaneous growth and abounding of fuchTrees in the refpective Soyles. 19, But I acknowledge how eafie it is to be/off in this Wood, and that I have hardly power to take off my Pex whilft [am on this delightful S#bje@ : For what more augult,more charming and ufeful, than the cxlture and prefervation of fuch goodly Plantations. That fhade to our Grand-Children gives —— Seris fattura nepotibus umbrams andafford fo fweet, and fo agreeable refrefhment to our Induftrious Wood-man,. When He, his wearied Limbs had laid, Undera florid Plasans Shade. , Ciim po labores [ub Platano cubat Firentis ambra — Sind Chap. XxaV, A Difcourfe of Forelt-Trees. Or fome other goodly {preading Trees, fuch ee Legions of a proud Conqueroxr , and as we told you {topt that the wife Socrates wareby : That Pafenins Crifpus did Sacrif ice to,and the honours of his Gods, 20, But, whilft we condemnthis Excef e in them; Chriftians > and true Philofophers may be inftrudted to mak e #/ ofthefe ExJoyme 245 nts to better purpofes , by costemplat ing the 24 c their Production and ftruéture: And ie Se cin fect an Atomif?, who will undertake to detedt the thoufandth part, 7 2 or poynt of fo exile aGraiz; as that infen fible rudiment, or rather halituous fpirit , which brings forth the | ofty Firr eTree , and the {prea D ding Oke? That Trees of fo enormousa n heigh tand nitude, as we find fome Elmes, Planes, and Cypref fes ; fleHote Iron, and folid as Asarble (for fuch the Ledies furnifh many ) fhould be fwad!'d and involy'd within {o {mall a dimenfion (if a poynt may be faid to have apy ) withourt he leaft luxation, confu- fion or diforder of Parts, and in fo weak and feeble a fubft ; being at firft but a kind of tender wucilage, or which fo ealily diflolves and corrupts Subfiances rather eure ; fo much harder, whenthey are buried in the moift Womb of the Earth , whilft this tender, and flexible as itis, fhall be able intim e to rent in funder whole Rocks of {tones , and fomet difplace and imesto cleave them beyond the force of Irom Wedges » fo as even to remove Mountains? For thus no Weights are o bferv'd able to fupprefs the victorious Palm And thus, our Tree (like Adan whofe inverted Symbol he is) being fown in corruption, rifesin glory, bylitt little afcending into an hard erect Stem of comely dimenf le and ions,into a folid Toweras it were s and that which but lately a fingle Ant 9 would eafily have born tohis little cavern > bow capab le ofrefifting the fury, and braving the Rage ofthe moft impetuousflor ms, Magni mehercle artificis, clanfiffe totum in tam exigno (to ule Sene- Epia. 39. ca’s expreffion) & horroreft confideranti, 21. Contemplate we again ,Whatit is which begins this moti or flame,caufing it firltto radiate in the Earth,and thee to difplay its Top in the Ayre, fo different Poles (as I maycall them) in fuch different Aledinms ? How it elects, and then intro-fumes food, and givesfuck, as it were,to its yet t ender Infant, its proper tillit have itrength and force to prey on, and digeft t he morefolid Juices of the Earths for then, and not‘till then, do the Roots begin den: Confider how it affimilates, Separates, and diftrib to harutes thefe feveral fuppliess how it comcoffs, tranfrrutes, augments, produc es and zouries without feparation of Excrements (at leatt to us vifible) and generates its like, without vio lation of Virgin ity: By what exquifite percolations, andfermentations it proce eds; for the Heart, Fibers , Veins, Rind, Branches, Leaves , Bloffonts; Fruit; for thefirength, Colour, Taft, Odour and other {tupendions Qualities, zand A. diftin® ; ; f ak Facultie s , fome of them fo repugnant and contrary to others; yetin fo uniform, and fucceflive a Series » and all this perform'd inthe dark, and tho‘e fecret Re cefles of Nuture. Quid Kk Foliornns |
