The largest tree that ever was known to be brought into Britain, formed the main maft of the Royal Sovereign in Queen Anne's time. It was ninety feet long, and thirty-five inches in dia meter. Mr Evelin, from whom we have this account, mentions in the fame place a ftill larger tree, which formed the keel of the Crown, a French fhip of the laft century. It was one hundred and twenty-feet long. The mafts of our fhips of war, at prefent, are never made offingle trees. It is the method to lay two or three trees together, and fitting them tight to each other, to bind them close, at proper diftances with pitched ropes. But a very noble fir was lately brought into England, which was not fpliced in the common mode, but was converted, in its full dimenfions, into the bowfprit of the Britannia, a new fhip of one hundred and ten guns; in which capacity I have heard it ferves at prefent. This fir was minety-fix feet in length. The oaks of Chaucer are celebrated, in the annals of poetry, as the trees, under which -the laughing fage Carolled his moral fongThey grew in the park at Donningtoncaftle, near Newbery, where Chaucer 1pent his latter life in ftudious retirement. -The largest of thefe trees avas called the king's-oak, and carried an erect stem of fifty feet before it broke into branches, and was cut into to a beam five feet fquare.The next in fize was called the queen's oak, and furvived the calamities of the civil wars in King Charles' time; though Donnington-caftle and the country around it were fo often the fcenes of action and defolation.Its branches were very curious; they pufhed out from the ftem in feveral uncommon directions, imitating the horns of a ram rather than the branches of an oak. When it was felled, it yielded a beam forty feet long, with out knot or blemish, perfectly ftrait four feet fquare at the but-end, and near a yard at the top.The third of thefe oaks was called Chaucer's, of which we have no particulars; in general, only, we are told, that it was a noble tree, though inferior to either of the others. None of them, I should fuppofe from this account, was a tree of picturesque beauty. A ftrait ftem, of forty or fifty feet, let its head be what it will, can hardly produce a picturefque form. When we admired the ftone-pine, we fuppofed its ftem to take a fweeping line; and to be broken alfo with ftumps, or decayed branches. It Clofe by the gate of the water-walk, at Magdalen college in Oxford, grew an oak, which perhaps ftood there a faplin, when Alfred the Great founded the univerfity. This period only includes fpace of nine hundred years, which is no great age for an oak. is a difficult matter indeed to ascertain the age of a tree. The age of a castle or abbey is the object of hiftory. Even a common houfe is recorded by the family that built it. All these objects arrive at maturity in their youth, if I may fo fpeak. But the tree gradually completing its growth, is not worth recording in the early part of its exiftence. It is then only a common tree; and afterwards, when it becomes remarkable for its age, all memory of its youth is loft. This tree, however, can almost produce hiftorical evidence for the age afligned to it. About five hundred years after the time of Al-, fred, William of Wainfleet, Dr Stukely tells us, exprefsly ordered his college to be founded near the great oak; and an oak could not, I think, be lefs than five hundred years of age, to merit that title; together with the honour of fixing the fite of a college. When the magnificence of Cardinal Wolfey erected that handsome tower, which is fo ornamental to the whole building, this tree might probably be in the meridian of its glory; or rather perhaps perhaps it had attained a green old age. But it must have been manifeftly in its decline, at that memorable era, when the tyranny of James gave the fellows of Magdalen fo noble an opportunity of withstanding bigotry and fuperftition. It was afterwards much injured in Charles II's time, when the prefent walks were laid out. Its roots were disturbed; and from that period it declined faft, and be came reduced by degrees to little more than a mere trunk. The oldest members of the univerfity can fcarce recollect it in better plight. But the faithful records of history have handed down its ancient dimenfions. Thro' a space of fixteen yards, on every fide from its trunk, it ouce flung its boughs, and under its magnificent pavilion could have fheltered with eafe three thousand men, tho' in its decayed ftate it could for many years do little more than thelter fome lucklefs individual, whom the driving fhower had overtaken in his evening walk. In the fummer of the year 1788 this magnificent ruin fell to the ground, alarming the college with its rushing found. It then appeared how precariously it had stood for many years. Its grand tap-root was decayed; and it had hold of the earth only by two or three roots, of which none was more than a couple of inches in diameter. From a part of its ruins a chair has been made for the prefident of the college, which will long continue its memory. Near Workfop grew an oak, which in refpect both to its own dignity, and the dignity of its fituation, deferves honourable mention. In point of grandeur few trees equalled it. It over fpread a fpace of ninety feet from the extremities of its oppofite boughs.Thefe dimensions will produce an area capable, on mathematical calculation, of covering a fquadron of two hundred and thirty-five hoife. The dignity of its ftation was equal to the dignity of the tree itfelf. It ftood on VOL. XIV. Ne. 81. a point, where Yorkshire, Notting hamfire, and Derbyshire unite, and fpread its fhade over a portion of each. From the honourable station of thus fixing the bundaries of three large counties, it was equally refpected thro the domains of them all; and was known far and wide, by the honourable diftinction of the hire-bak, by which appellation it was marked a mong cities, towns, and rivers, in all the larger maps of England. In the garden at Tortwo th, in Gloceerthire, an old family-feat, belonging to Lord Ducie, grows a Spaniin chefout of great age and dimenfions* Traditional accounts fuppofe it to have been a boundary-tree in the time of King John; and I have met with os ther accounts, which place it in the fame honourable station in the reign of King Stephen. How much older it may be we know not. Confiderably older it probably was for we farely make boundary-trees of faplins and off fets, which are liable to a thoufand accidents, and are unable to maintain, with proper dignity, the station delegated to them. This tree is at prefent in hands which justly value and protect its age. It was barely included within the garden-wall, which bore hard upon it. Lord Ducie rea moved the incumbrance, and at the fame time applied fresh earth to the roots of the tree, which feems to have enlivened it. So late as in the year 1788 it produced great quantities of chefauts; which, though fmall, were fweet and well-flavoured.In the great chefnut caufe between Barring ton and Ducarel this venerable tree was called upon as an evidence; and gave a very refpectable teftimony in fa vour of the ch fauts. After mentioning this chefnut, which has been celebrated fo much, I cannot forbear mentioning another, which is equally remarkable or having never been celebrated at al', tho' it is one of the largest trees that perhaps ever exifted in England. If it had ever In the feasting that attends a fair, fires Not far from Blanford, in Dorsetfhire, ftood very lately a tree, known by the name of Damory's oak. About five or fix centuries ago it was probably in a state of maturity. At the ground its circumference was fixtyeight feet; and feventeen feet above the ground its diameter was four yards. As this vaft trunk decayed, it became hollow, forming a cavity, which was fifteen feet wide, and seventeen feet high, capable of holding twenty men. During the civil wars, and till after the Reftoration, this cave was regularly inhabited by an old man, who fold ale in it. In the violent ftorm in the year 1703 it fuffered greatly, many of its noblest limbs having been torn from it. But it was ftill fo grand a ruin, above forty years after, that fome of its branches were seventy-five feet high; and extended feventy-two. In the. year 1755, when it was fit for nothing but firewood, it was fold for fourteen pounds. ever been noticed merely for its bulk, I should have paffed it over among other gigantic plants that had nothing elfe o boaft; but as no hiftorian or antiquarian, fo far as I have heard, hath taken the leaft notice of it, I thought it right from this very circum ftance to make up the omiffion, by giving it, at leaft, what little credit thefe papers could give. This chefnut grows at a place called Wimley, near Hitchin-priory in Hertfordfhire. In the year 1789, at five feet above the ground, its girth was fomewhat more than fourteen yards. Its trunk was hollow, and in part open; but its vegetation was ftill vigorous. On. one fide its vaft arms, shooting up in various forms, fome upright, and others oblique, were decayed, and peeled at the extremities; but iffued from luxuriant foliage at their infertion in the trunk. On the other fide, the foliage was ftill full, and hid all decay. In a glade of Hainbaule foreft in Effex, about a mile from Barkingfide, ftands an oak, which has been known through many centuries by the name of Fairlop. The tradition of the country traces it half way up the Chriftian æra. It is still a noble tree, tho' it has now fuffered greatly from the depredations of time. About a yard from the ground, where its rough In Torwood, in the county of Stirfluted ftem is thirty-fix feet in circum-ling, upon a little knoll ftand at this ference, it divides into eleven vaft time the ruins of an oak, which is fuparms; yet not in the horizontal man posed to be the largest tree that ever ner of an oak, but rather in that of a grew in Scotland. The trunk of it is beech. Beneath its fhade, which o- now wholly decayed and hollow: bug verfpreads an area of three hundred it is evident, from what remains, that feet in circuit, an annual fair has long its diameter could not have been lefs been held on the 2d of July, and no than eleven or twelve feet. What its booth is fuffered to be erected beyond age may be is matter only of conjecthe extent of its boughs. But as their ture: but from fome circumstances it extremities are now become faplefs, is probably a tree of great antiquity. and age is yearly curtailing their The little knoll it ftands on, is furlength, the liberties of the fair feem raunded by a fwamp, over which a to be in a very defponding condition. caufeway leads to the trees or rather The honour, however, is great. But to a circle which feems to have run honours are often accompanied with round it. The vettiges of this circle, inconveniences; and Fairlop has fuf- as well as the caufeway, bear a plain fered from its honourable diftinctions, refemblance to these works, which are commonly ཐཱ 3 commonly attributed to the Druids. So that it is probable this tree was a fcene of worship belonging to thofe heathen priests, But the credit of it does not depend on the dubious veftiges of Druid antiquity. In a later fcene of greater importance, (if tradition ever be the vehicle of truth) it bore a great fhare.- -When that illuftrious hero, WILLIAM WALLACE, roused the spirit of the Scots nation to oppofe the tyranny of Edward, he of ten chofe the folitude of Torwood as a place of rendezvous for his army.Here he concealed his numbers and bis defigns, fallying out fuddenly on the enemy's garrifons, and retreating as fuddenly, when he feared to be overpowered. While his army lay in those woods, the oak which we are now commemorating was commonly his head quarters. Here the hero generally flept; its hollow trunk being capacious enough to afford fhelter, not only to himself, but to several of his officers. This tree has ever fince been known by the name of Wallace-tree 3 by which name it may easily be found in Torwood to this day. 4 Among thefe celebrated trees we must not forget Hern's oak in Windfor foreft. Shakefpear tells us, -an old tale goes, that Hern the hunter, This tree, as far as we can pay credit to tradition and general opinion, ftill exists. In the little park at Windfor is a walk, known by the name of Queen Elizabeth's walk. It confifts of elms, among which is a fingle oak taken into the row, as if particularly meant to be diftinguished at the time when the walk was laid out. This tree is fupposed to be Hern's oak. It is a large tree, measuring a bout twenty-four feet in circumference, and is still in great vigour, which I think chiefly injures its historical credit. For though it is evidently a tree in years, and might well have exifted in the time of Elizabeth, it seems too ftrong and vigorous to have been a proper tree in that age for Hern the hunter to have danced round. Fairies, elves, and that generation of people, univerfally chofe the most ancient and venerable trees they could find to gambol under: and the poet, who fhould defcribe them dancing under a faplin, would fhew little acquaintance with his subject. That this tree could not be called a venerable tree two hundred years ago is evident, becaufe it hardly can affume that character even now; and yet an oak, in a foil it likes, will continue fo many years in a vigorous ftate, that we must not lay more trefs on this argument than it will fairly bear. It may be added, however, in its favour, that a pit or ditch is ftill fhewn near the tree, as Shakespeare deferibes it; which may have been preferved with the fame veneration as the tree itself. There is an oak, in the grounds of Sir Gerrard Van Neck, at Heveningham, in Suffolk, which carrics us like. wife into the times of Elizabeth. But this tree brings its evidence with itevidence which, if neceffary, might carry it into Saxon times. It is now falling faft into the decline of years, and every year robs it more of its honours. But its trunk, which measures thirty-five feet in circumference, still retains its grandeur, though the ornaments of its boughs and foliage are much reduced. But the grandeur of Ee2 the the trunk confifts only in appearance. It is a mere fhell. In Queen Elizabeth's time it was hollow; and from this circumftange the tree derives the honour of being handed down to pofterity, That Princefs, who from her earliest age loved mafculine amufe, ments, ufcd often, it is faid, in her youth, to take her ftand in this tree, and fhoot the deer as they paffed.From that time it has been known by the name of Queen Elizabeth's cak." Directions for the Study:f English Hiftory, in a Letter from a Gentleman of great Eminence to a Friend. JOU will not expect to be fent to the authors, who are ufually call ed Claffical, for much information in the English Fito y. Very little is met with in the Geek, and not a great deal in the Latin. Cæfar, Ta citus, and Suetonius, are the only ones worth mentioning on this fubject. Nor will you chufe to be referred to the Monkish writers Jeffrey of Monmouth and his ftory of are now chufe, however, to read about this matter, Sheringham de Anglorum Origine, 8va. 1670, is the best book for the purpofe. I may juft mention, that fonie writers would cavil at the word Inland juft above, and infist that we were formerly joined to the French Continent. Little real knowledge is to be picked up from our hiftory before the conqueff, yet it may not be amifs to have a general idea of the Druidical Gogenerally given up. Some of them vernment among the ancient Britons; indeed, as Willam of Mal bury, of the invafion of the Romans under Matthew Paris, &c. have a more au- Julius Cæfar, and again in the time of thentic character; but I fuppete any one Claudius; the ftruggles for liberty un(except a proteffed antiquary) will be der Caraçtacus, Boadicea, &c,; the contented with them at fecond-hand defertion of the Ifland by the Romans in the moder hiftorians. Carte has the irruption of the Pics and Scots made the most and belt ufe of them, the calling in of the Saxons as allies which is the grea eft merit of his book. who, after a time, turned their arms Hume often their in his against the natives and conquered margin; but I fear all he knew of them (fome few excepted), who fecuthem was through the media or other red themf lves in the mountains of writers. He has fome mistakes, which Wales; whence their defcendants afcould not have happened had he really fect to call themfelves Ancient Briconfulted the originals. tons; the eftablishment of the Heptarchy, &c.; the union under King Egbert; the invafion and various for tunes of the Danes; and, laftly, the Normans under William the Conqueror. hames The first planting of every nation is neceffarily cbfcure, and always loft in a pretended antiquity. It matters little to us whether our land was first peopled by Trojans, Phoenicians, Scythians, Celts, or Gauls, who have all their refpe&tive advocate; and the famous Daniel de Foe makes his True born Englishman a compound of all nations under heaven. If you The best authors for this period are Milton and Sir William Temple; the latter more pleafing, but the former more accurate. Milton's profe works are exceeding ftiff and pedantic, and Sir William's as remarkably easy and |