t 79 1 



an inch and quarter yearly the firfl: century, an inch 

 the fecond, three quarters the thh-d, half an inch 

 the fourth, one-third the fifth, and thirty inches 

 each century for the fecond 500 years, and a little 

 }efs than a quarter for the eleventh century i the 

 account will (land thus : 



Inches. 



The firft century, at an inch and quarter — la^ /.- 



Second ditto at one inch > 1 00 , 



Third ditto at three quarters — — y^ 



Fourth ditto at half an inch ■ ■' ■ » 50' 



iFifth ditto at one-third of an inch 1 33* 



Second 500 years at 30 indhes per century — 150 



Eleventh century at 24! inches — — — • 24^' 



46 hct and a half; or 558 i. 



' There js a tradition, that this tree was called 

 the Great Chefnut in King John's time; and fup- 

 pofmg it grew in this proportion, it was 540 years 

 old when he came to the throne, and eleven yards 

 in circumference. ' * 



* Sir R. Atkins, in his hiftory of Gloceftcrfhirc, 

 (p. 413) fays, * by tradition this tree was growing 

 * in King John's reign, and is 19 yards in com- 

 ' pafs;' and 1 believe it is at lead fo large near the 

 -earth. Now, although I have fufficient proof of 

 young trees increafing much more than my fuppofed 



growth 



