360

A DISCOURSE

book iv. wrought some effects upon the sacrilegious purchasers and disloyal fn~vaders in this iron age amongst us, who, to gratify an impious and un-worthy avarice, have lately made so prodigious a spoil of those goodlyforests, woods, and trees, which, being once the treasure and ornamentof this nation, were doubtlefs reserved by our more prudent ancestors forthe repairs of our floating castles, the safeguard and boast of this re—Oils tibi fac- nowned island, when necefsity, or some imminent peril should threatentorum p®nas it, or call for their afsistance, and not transmitted to be devoured byrmn^Vatid- ^ iese improvident wretches, who, to their eternal reproach, did, togethernor— with the Royal Patrimony, swallow likewise God ’s own inheritance..

Vide Met. 1.8. But their sons and grand children we have lived to see as hastily disgorgeArgonaut 1 * 2 ' t ^ iem a o a ^ n ’ an d with them all. the rest of their holy purchases, whichProsternit otherwise they might securely have enjoyed But this, in terrorem only,,nestam ^"quam anc ^ f° r caution to posterity, whiles we leave the guilty, and those whosibi Nympha have done the mischiefs, to their proper Scorpions, , and to their^iifs fecit—* Ue Brisichthonian fate, or to that of the inexorable Parasbius,, the vengeance-of the Dryads ; and to their tutelar better genius, if any yet remain who

love the solid honour and ornament of their country: For, wood-born* as* At Wotton, j am w hat could I say lefs in behalf of those sacred shades, which both

in Surry.. ' .

grace our habitations, and protect our nation L

One thing more I think not impertinent to hint, before I take myleave of this Book, concerning the use of Standing Groves : That in someplaces of the world they have no other water to drink than what theirtrees afford them ; not only of their proper juice, (as we have noted) butfrom their attraction of the evening moisture, which impends in the shapeof a cloud over them •, Such a tuft of trees is in the island of Ferro jof which consult the learned Isaac Vofsius upon Pomponius Mela , andMagnenus d'e- Manna : The same likewise happeneth in the Indies :so that if their woods were once destroyed, they might perish for wantof rains j upon which account Barbadoes grows every year more torrid,,and has not near the rain it formerly enjoyed when it was better fur-nished, with trees ; and so in Jamaica , at Gunaboa, the rains are observedto diminish as their plantations extend : The like I could tell you ofsome parts of England not far from hence,.

And now, lastly, to encourage those to plant that have opportunity, and