1776

ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM.

PART III.

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Nottingham, and Derby, and dripped over 777 square yards. An oakbetween Newnham Courtney and Clifton shaded a circumference of 560yards of ground, under which 2420 men might have commodiously takenshelter. The immense Spread Oak in Worksop Park, near the white gate,gave an extent, between the ends of its opposite branches, of 180 ft. It drip-ped over an area of nearly 3000 square yards, which is above half an acre ; andwould have afforded shelter to a regiment of nearly 1000 horse. The OakleyOak, now growing on an estate of the Duke of Bedford, has a head 110 ft. indiameter. The oak called Robur Britannicum, in the park at Rycote, is saidto have been extensive enough to cover 5000 men; and at Ellerslie, in Ren-frewshire, the native village of the hero Wallace, there is still standing “thelarge oak tree” (see p. 1772.), among the branches of which it is said that heand 300 of his men hid themselves from the English.

Size of Oaks , as compared with that of other Objects. “ The circle occupiedby the Cowthorpe Oak,” says Professor Burnet, “ where the bottom of its trunkmeets the earth, exceeds the ground plot of that majestic column of whichan oak is confessed to have been the prototype, viz. Smeaton’s EddystoneLighthouse. Sections of the trunk of the one would, at several heights, nearlyagree with sections of the curved and cylindrical portions of the shaft ofthe other. The natural caverns in Damory’s and other oaks were largerthan the chambers alluded to, as horizontal slices of the trunk would be con-siderably too large to floor any of them. The hollow space in Damory’s Oakwas, indeed, 3 ft. wider than the parish church of St. Lawrence, in the Isle ofWight. Arthur’s round table would form an entire roof, or projecting capital,for the lighthouse: indeed, upon this table might be built a round church, aslarge as that of St. Lawrence, in the Isle of Wight, before alluded to, andspace to spare; so that, if the extent of the sap wood be added, or the groundplot of the Cowthorpe Oak be substituted for Arthur’s table, there would beplenty of room, not only to build such a parish church, but to allow space fora small cemetery beside it. Indeed,” continues Burnet, “ with reference to