LOO

A DISCOURSE

Boo kIII. and then more exactly for me, by order of the late Right HonourableSir George Cart er et, Vice-Chamberlain to his Majesty , and late Tred-surtroilhc Navy: Not to mention the goodly Planks, and other con-siderable Pieces of squared and clear Timber, which I observed to lieabout it, that had been hewed and fawn out of some of the Arms,only torn from it by impetuous Winds. Such another Monster I am in-> formed is also to be seen in Sutton Church-yard, near Winchester. T°these we add what we find taken Notice of by the learned and indu-striously curious Dr. ‘Plot, in his Natural History of Oxfordjhire ;, particularly an Oak between Nuncham-Courtney and Clifton, spread-

ing from Bough-end to Bough-end, cighty-ojic Foot , shading in Cif -cumference five hundred and sixty square Tar.ds of Ground, underwhich two thousand four hundred and twenty Men may commodious!^stand in shelter. And a bigger than this, near the Gate of the Water -walk at Magdalen-College , whose Branches shoot sixteen Tards from theStem ; likewise of another at Ricat, in the LordNorrey’s Park, extend-ing its Arms fifty-four AW, under which three hundred and four Horses,or four thousand three hundred and seventy four Men may sufficientlystand : This is that Robur Britannicum so much celebrated by the late_ Author of Hodona’s Grove, and under which he leans contemplating if 1th e Frontispiece. But these (with infinite others, which I am ready toproduce) might fairly suffice to vindicate and assert our ‘Proposttion, aSit relates to modern Examples, and Sizes of Timper-trees, compara-ble to any of the Antients, remaining upon laudable and unsuspectedRecords; were it not great Ingratitude to conceal a most industrious, andno less accurate Account , which comes to my Hands from Mr. HaltofhAuditor to the Right Honourable the most Illustrious and Noble Hefts3Duke of Norfolk , Earl Marshal of England.

In Sheffield Lordjkip.

IheVcZlf . 1 5 - In the Hall-Park, near unto Rivelin, stood an Oak which hadwho gave in- eighteen Tards without Bough or Knot , and carried a Tard and st*Ihel7nicf I nc ^ jes square at the said Height or Length, and not much bigger neaslars. the Root: Sold twelve Tears ago for eleven Pounds. Consider the D l )solT’ RaW " ft ance °f the Place and Country, and what so prodigious a Tree wou^have been worth near London.

In Firth’s-Farm within Sheffield Lordjhip, about twenty Te& rSsince, a Tree blown down by the Wind, made, or would have mad ec<y.Bullock, two Forge-Hammer-Beams, and in those, and the other Wood of £ h atTree , there was of Worth, or made fifty Pounds; and Godfrey Frog^(who is now living) did oft fay, he lost thirty Pounds by the fl otbuying of it.

A Hammer-beam is not lest than 7 - Tards long, and 4 Foot fq u3seat the Barrel. . ,

In Sheffield-Park, below the Mannar , a Tree was standing ^5was fold by one Gijford (Servant to the then Countess of Kent)} 0two Pounds ten Shillings, to one Nich. Hicks ; which yielded of I a ' vWair fourteen hundred and, by Estimation, twenty Cords of W°° '

A Wair is two Tards long, and one Foot broad, sixfcore to 1 ^Hundred : So that in the said Tree was ten thousand and eightyof Boards ; which, if any of the said Boards were more th ahalf Inch thick, renders the Thing yet more admirable. ^

Ed. Morpliy.

Wood-ivard.

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