110 A DISCOURSE

Book III. detect few but the German Aer, which is a Species of Maple, for theRims of Viols, and the choicest and finest grained Fir for the BelliesThe Finger-boards, Back and Ribs, I have seen of Tew, Rear-tree, &c. but Ripes, Recorders, and Wind-Instruments, are madeboth of hard and soft Woods ; I had lately an Organ with a Sett ofOaken-Ripes, which were the most sweet and mellow that were everbeard; it was a very old Instrument, and formerly, I think, belongingto the Duke of Norfolk. We shall say nothing of the other variousUses of Timber luperstitiously mentioned, when we find they mightnot carve the Statues of the Ragan Gods of every fort of Wood, nequovis ex ligno fiat Mercurius; but of this by the Way.

14. For the Rlace of Growth, that Timber is esteemed best whichgrows most in the Sun, and on a dry and hale Ground; for those Treeswhich stick, and drink little, are most hard, robust, and longest lived,Instances of Sobriety. The Climate contributes much to its Quality-,and the Northern Situation is presented to the rest of the Quartersse> as that which grew in Tuscany was of Old thought better thanthat of the Venetian Side ; and yet the Biscay Timber is esteemed bet-ter than what they have from colder Countries: And Trees of the wil *der Kind, and barren, than the over-much cultivated and great Bearers:But of this already.

if. To omit nothing, Authors have summed up the Natures ofTimber, as the hardest Ebony, Box, Larch, Lotus, Terebinth ,Cornus, Tew, &c. and though these indurated Woods be too ponde>rous for Ship-carpentry, yet there have been Vessels built of them bythe Rortugueze in America ; in which the Rlanks, and innermostTimbers had been sawed very thin for Lightness fake, and the Knee-timber put together of divers small Pieces, by Reason of the Inflexi-bleness of it, both which could not but render the Ships very weak:In the mean Time, the R er section of these hard Materials consistsmuch in their receiving the most exquisite Roliture ; and for this, Lift'feed, or the sweeter Nut-Oil, does the Effect best : Rliny gives us theReceipt, with a Decoction of Walnut-jhells, and certain wild Rears ■Next to these, Oak for Ships and Houses (or more minutely) theOak for the Keel , the Robur for the Rrow , Walnut the Stern, Eli*the Rump. Furnerus, Lib. i. Cap, xxii. conceives nae Ark to havebeen built of several Woods; Cornel, Holly , &c. for R^ns, Wedges,Chestnut, Horn-beam, Roplar, &c. Then for Bucklers and Targetswere commended the more soft and moist, because apt to close, swell >and make up their Wounds again ; such as Willow, Lime, Birch,Alder, Elder, Ash, Roplar, SCc.

The Robur, or Wild-Oak Timber, best to stand in Ground; theQuercus without; and our English, for being least obnoxious to ss^ n 'ter, and the Irish for resisting the Worm (tough as Leather) are doubt-less for Shipping to be preferred before all other : The Cypress,

Rines, Cedar, &c. are best for Rosts and Columns, because of theifereft Growth, natural and comely Diminutions. Then again it ' 8noted, that Oriental Trees are hardest towards the Cortex or Bark,our Western towards the Middle, which we call the Heart ; and thatTrees which bear no Fruit, or but little, are more durable than themore pregnant. i t is noted of Oak, that the Knot of an inveterateTree, just where a lusty Arm joins to the Stem, is as curiously veine<*as the Wlimit, which omitted in the Chapter of the Oak, I here ob*

serve