150 



Among thefe celebrated trees we muft not 

 forget Hern's oak in Windfor-foreft. Shake- 

 fpear tells us, 



an old tale goes, that Hern the hunter, 



Sometime a keeper here in Windfor foreft, 

 Doth all the winter time, at ftill of midnight, 

 Walk round about this oak, with ragged horns ; 

 And then he blails the trees, deftroys the cattle, 

 Makes the milch-cow yield blood, and makes a chain 

 In hideous, dreadful manner . 



This tree, as far as we can pay credit to 

 tradition, .and general opinion, ftill exifts. 

 In the little park at Windfor is a walk, known 

 by the name of Queen Elizabeth's walk. It 

 confifts of elms, among which is a fmgle 

 oak taken into the row, as if particularly meant 

 to be diftinguifhed, at the time, when the 

 walk was laid out. This tree is fuppofed 

 to be Hern's oak. It is a large tree, 

 meafuring about twenty-four feet in circum- 

 ference, and is ftill in great vigour; which 

 I think, chiefly injures it's hiftorical credit. 

 For tho it is evidently a tree in years, and 

 might well have exifted in the time of 

 Elizabeth, it feems too ftrong, and vigorous 



to 



