AMENTIFERiE. 151 



stubborn for the Cabinet." In his description of Penshurst, Ben Jonson refers to 

 this tree thus — 



" That taller tree, which of a nut was set 

 At his great birth, when all the Muses met." 



Waller tried to impress his love for Saccharissa on it : — 



" Go, boy, and carve this passion on the bark 

 Of yonder tree, which stands the sacred mark 

 Of noble Sidney's birth," 



" Turpin's Oak " is a celebrated tree, and we believe still stands on a plot of 

 gi'ound on the road to Barnet, opposite the " Green Man." The notorious Dick 

 Turpin was, it is said, accustomed to take his station behind this tree when he was 

 on a freebooting expedition to this part of the country. Its closeness to the great 

 high road to the north made it a convenient ambush not only for Dick, but for high- 

 waymen generally, who, about a century and a quarter ago, were continually robbing 

 the mails, as well as travellers. 



In Windsor Forest there are several celebrated oaks ; one of these, the King Oak, 

 is said to have been a favourite tree of William the Conqueror, who made this a 

 royal forest. In Mr. Loudon's time an oak was standing supposed to be the largest 

 and oldest in the forest. It was quite hollow, and the space within about eight feet 

 in diameter. It was said to be above 1,000 years old. Pope's Oak in Binfield 

 Wood, Windsor Forest, has the words "Here Pope sang" inscribed on it. "Heme's 

 Oak," in Windsor Park, has been immortalised by Shakespeare. There has been 

 much controversy as to the identity of the tree now regarded as the celebrated one. 

 It was stated to have been felled by order of George III., about fifty years ago ; but 

 Mr. Loudon, thinking this very improbable, took great pains to ascertain the truth, 

 and was convinced that in his time it was still standing. Tradition, which has been 

 transmitted for many generations amongst the inhabitants of Windsor, fixes on one 

 tree, now dead, on the piece of ground close to Frogmore Lodge as the veritable oak 

 of Heme the Hunter. Its association with the "Merry Wives of Windsor," and as 

 the scene of their merry pranks, gives it an interest, even though it be now withered 

 and leafless. Mr. Loudon writes: "Among the many appropriate passages it brought 

 to my recollection, was the following — . 



* There want not many that do fear 

 In deep of night to walk by this Heme's Oak.' 



The footpath which leads across the park is stated to have passed, in former times, 

 close to Heme's Oak. The path is now at a little distance from it, and was probably 

 altered in order to protect the tree from injury. I was glad to find a ' pit hard by,' 

 where ' Nan and her troop of fairies and the Welch devil Evans ' might all have 

 couch'd without being perceived by the ' fat Windsor stag,' when he spake like 

 'Heme the Hunter.' " The pit above alluded to has recently had a few thorns 

 planted in it, and the circumstance of its being near the oak, with the diversion of 

 the footpath, seems to prove the identity of the tree, in addition to the traditions 

 respecting it : — 



" There is an old tale goes that Heme the Hunter, 



Sometime a keeper here in Windsor Forest, 



Doth all the winter time, at still midnight. 



Walk round about an oak, with great ragged horns, 



And there he blasts the tree." 



