1883.] THBOUGH SHERWOOD FOREST. 19 



like soldiers on parade. Everything in this part of Sherwood 

 is tropical in its profusion and wildness, and the silvery Birch 

 nestles under the giant Oak, while the Elm bends over the turfy 

 footpath, and shelters the traveller from scorching heat. A long 

 line of turf alone shows where the pedestrian may proceed ; hut if 

 he is wise, he will turn to the right and proceed along the carriage- 

 way, which is as full of pebbles as the seashore. Bracken and gorse 

 almost envelope him, while millions of flies come from all parts 

 of the forest to pay him homage. Half a mile further on he may 

 sit down and rest on the roots of a forest king, the ' Simon 

 Forester,' as it has been designated by the dwellers in the vicinity, 

 and admire the immensity of the trunk, and the extent of the 

 shade it affords. Such a monster is rare in the forest, or indeed 

 in England, and it is to be hoped that no forester, whether the 

 famed ' Simon ' or his descendants, will ever be allowed to lay 

 the axe to its roots. During the interval, the ' sublime weed ' 

 will help to dispel the flying pests which are so demonstrative 

 in thek affection, and he will be able to proceed along the pebbled 

 way ^refreshed, cooled and invigorated. Three furlongs farther on, 

 through a wilderness of tangled forest, presentmg every variety 

 of foliage and tint, the crowning triumph of his labour is reached, 

 and he again sits down under the shade of one of the mightiest 

 Oaks that exist in England. This is the famous ' Major Oak,' the 

 photographic picture of which he will be able to purchase from 

 the old man of the woods who constantly inhabits its vicinity. 

 He will be lucky indeed if he can sit down on the immense roots 

 without being interrupted in his cogitations by the presence of 

 a party bent on enjoyment. This is the ' happy hunting ground' 

 of the Nottingham lace-maker, and the Sheffield gTinder, 

 and no better locale could be imagined. The venerable Oak 

 stands in the centre of an acre of beautiful turf, and can be 

 viewed in all the glory of its proud position. The size of its- 

 trunk can be imagined from the fact that seven full-grown 

 persons can only clasp hands around it, while its hollow interior 

 has been known to accommodate a dozen persons. The spectator 

 is astounded with its size, and not only is it the monarch of the 

 forest, but its branches spread out to form a picture of grace and 

 surpassing beauty. There are no lightning-shivered branches or 

 ungainly growth : all the pose of the tree is exceptionally majestic, 

 and such as many an artist has loved to dehneate. Here he may 

 rest, and gaze upon the aspect of lovehness which surrounds him, 

 and when he has sufficiently admired the thousands of Bnches 

 with, their shimmering leaves — the Chestnuts with then' wealth of 

 fohage— the golden-crested Gorse, and the undulations of woodland 



