316 



to hand, and foot to foot, for the domains on which he still survives in venerable 

 though deceasing majesty, surrounded by ancient denizens of the forest, the 

 oldest of whom, nevertheless, compared with himself, seems but of yesterday.'' 

 (P. 26). And he then quotes some lines which finish thus : 

 Time hollow'd in its trunk 



A tomb for centuries : and buried there 

 The epochs of the rise and fall of States, 

 The fading generations of the world, 

 The memory of man. 



Since Strutt's drawing was taken, decay has made progress in lessening the 

 amount of foliage still borne by the tree. It has, however, much living sprny 

 remaining, and from the sound state of the northern side of the tree will long 

 continue to bear it. It measured at 5 feet from the ground 36 feet in circum- 

 ference. 



The Old Oak is now well protected by other trees. There are several 

 wide-spreading Beech trees, which must greatly enrich the autumnal prosnect; 

 but they only give the following figures :— lift. 9in. ; 10ft. lOin. ; 10ft. llin. ; 

 and lift. Oin. in circumference. 



The great arboreal feature of the eastern end of the Park however consists 



in the number and size of the Ash trees to be found there. They are so grand, 



so graceful, and so picturesque as to call to mind Virgil's commendation of this 



tree— 



" Fraxinus in Sylvis pulcherrima." 



Nothing approaching them is to be found in this county, whether for size or 

 picturesque beauty so far as your Commissioner is aware. They gave these 

 measurements, 12ft. 4in., 13ft. 6:n., 12ft. a tree with two large bunches of 

 Mistletoe on it ; 15ft. Sin., 12ft. 4in. In other parts of the Park, 17ft 6in. on 

 the hill ; 12ft. 8in. ; 14ft. 3in. ; lift. 5in. ; 14ft. a hollow trunk ; and 13ft. 5in. ; 

 whilst in the shrubbery, close to Moccas Court, a grand old stump was prostrate 

 that measured 9 feet only half way round the upper end of the short bole. 



The "Weeping Oak is a very well known tree. Loudon gives a small figure 

 of it and says (vol. iii., p. 1732), "The largest tree of this variety in England 

 stands in the Park at Moccas Court, Herefordshire, and is perhaps one of the 

 most extraordinary trees of the oak kind in existence. The tree is in vigorous 

 health. The height of the trunk to the first branch is 18ft. ; girt at 9ft. from 

 the ground, 13ft. 2in. ; total height of the trunk, 75ft., with branches reaching 

 fr.?m the middle of its height to within 7ft. of the ground, and hanging down 

 like cords. Many of these branches are 30ft. long, and no thicker in any part of 

 that length than a common waggon rope. The entire head of the tree covers 

 a space of 100ft. in diameter. The tree bears acorns every year, from which 

 many plants have been raised, all of which partake more or less of the weeping 

 character of the parent, and many so much so that when they are young they are 

 obliged to be supported by props !" 



This tree now measures in circumference lift. Sin. at 5ft. from the ground, 



