The pifturefque eye, in the mean time, 

 is greatly hurt with the definition of all 

 thefe fylvah fcenes. Not that it delights in 

 a continued foreft ; nor wifhes to have a whole 

 country covered with wood. It delights in 

 the intermixture of wood, and plain j in which 

 beauty confifts. It is not it's bufmefs, to 

 confider matters of utility. It has nothing 

 to do with the affairs of the plough, and the 

 fpade ; but merely examines the face of nature 

 'as a beautiful object. At the fame time, it 

 is more than probable, that if at leaft fome 

 of our ancient forefts, in different parts of 

 the kingdom, had been preferved, the ends 

 of public utility might have been anfwered, 

 as well as thofe of piclurefque beauty. This 

 was at leaft the opinion of our enemies. We 

 are informed, that in the intended invafion 

 of 1588, the Spaniards, among other mifchief, 

 that was meditated, had orders to cut down 

 all the forefts of England, which they could 

 meet with ; particularly the foreft of Dean in 

 Glocefterfhire. John of Ghent indeed acted 

 this part in Scotland ; when to revenge an 

 inroad, he fet twenty four-thoufand axes at 

 work in the foreft of Caledonia. 



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