IJ+ A DISCOURSE

BooKlI.Colour of the old Leaf, made an ignorant Gardener of mine eradicate

V/YV what I had brought up with much Care as dead ; let this therefore be aWarning: The Leaves are thin, pretty long and bristly; the Conessmall, grow irregular, as do the Branches, like the Cypress , a verybeautiful Tree, the ponderous Branches bending a little, which makes itdiffer from the Libanus Cedar , to which some would have it allied, norare any found in Syria. Of the deep wounded Barky exfudes thepurest of our Shop-turpentine (at least as reputed) as also the DrugAgaric ; That it flourishes with us, a Tree of good Stature (not longsince to be seen about Chelmsford in Ejffex) sufficiently reproaches ournot cultivating so useful a Material for many Purposes, where lastingand substantial Timber is required : For we read of Beams of no lestthan an hundred and twenty Foot in Length, made out of this goodlyTree, which is of so strange a Composition, that ’twill hardly burn;whence Mantuan, Et robufia Larix igni impenetrabile lignum : For soCæsar found it in a Castle he besieged, built of it; (the Story is recitedat large by Vitruviusy Lib. ii. Cap. ix.) but fee what F hi lander faysupon the Place, on his own Experience: Yet the Coals thereof wereheld far better than any other, for the melting of Irony and the Lock-smith ; and to fay the Truth, we find they burn it frequently as commonFuel in the V alt aline, if at least it be the true Larix, which theynow call Melere. There is abundance of this Larch Timber in theBuildings at Venice , especially about the Falaces in Fiazza SanMarco, where I remember Scamozzi says, he himself used much of it,and infinitely commends it. Nor did they only use it in Houses , but inNaval Architecture also : The Ship mentioned by Witsen (a lateHutch Writer of that useful Art) to have been found not long since inthe Numidian Sea, twelve Fathoms under Water, being chiefly builtof this Timber and Cypress , both reduced to that Induration andHardnest, as greatly to resist, the Firey and the sharpest Tool ; nor was anything perished of it,though it had lain above a thousand and sour hundredYears submerg’d: The Hecks were covered with Linnen, and Plates ofLead, fixed with Nails gilt, and the entire Ship (which containedthirty Foot in Length) so stanch, as not one drop of Water had soakedinto any Room. Tiberius , we find, built that famous Bridge to his

, • Naumachia with this Wood, and it seems to excel for Beams , Doors ,WindowSy and Mass of Ships, resists the Worm Being driven intothe Ground, it is almost petrified , and will support an incredibleWeight; which (and for its Property of long resisting Fire ) makesVitruvius wish, they had greater Plenty of it at Rome to make Goifisof, where the Forum of Augufius was (it seems) built of it, anddivers Bridges by Tiberius ; for that being attempted with Fire, it islong in taking hold, growing only black without; and the Timber ofit is so exceedingly transparent, that Cabbins being made of the thinBoards , when in the dark Night they have lighted Candles in them,People who at are distance without Doors, would imagine the whole Roomto be on fire ; which is pretty odd, considering there is no Material f°(as they pretend) unapt to kindle. The Larix bears polishing excel-lently well, and the Turners Abroad much desire it: Vitruvius soy*tl ® f° ponderous, that it will sink in the Water: It also makes ever-Dsting Spouts , Fent-bouses, and Featheridge , which needs neitherd* v or fainting to preserve them ; and so excellent Fales, Fop,Rails, Fedameuts and Frops for Vines, &c. to which add the Falats

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