( 3' ) 



peculiar ufe in fhip-building. Whoever there- 

 fore does not mark theforfes ramos of the oak, 

 might as well in painting a Hercules, omit 

 his mufcles. But I fpeak only of the hardy 

 veterans of the foreft. In the effeminate nur- 

 lings of the grove we have not this appearance* 

 There the tree is all ftem, drawn up into 

 height. When we characterize a tree, we 

 confider it in it's natural flate, infulated, and 

 without any lateral preffure. In a foreft, trees 

 naturally grow in that manner. The feniors 

 deprefs all the juniors, that attempt to rife 

 near them. But in a planted grove all grow 

 up together; and none can exert any power 

 over another. 



The next characteriftic of the oak taken 

 notice of by the poet, is the twifting of its 

 branches : brachia tendit hie illuc. Examine 

 the am, the elm, the beech, or almoft any 

 other tree; and you may obferve, in what 

 direct, aud ftrait lines, the branches in each 

 {hoot from the ftem. Whereas the limbs of 

 an oak are continually twifting hue illuc y in 

 various contortions ; and like the courfe of 

 a river fport and play in every poflible di- 

 rection; fometimes in long reaches, and 

 fometimes in (hotter elbows. There is not 



a cha- 



