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foliage. The yew is of all other trees, the 

 moft tonfile. Hence all the indignities it 

 fuffers. We every where fee it cut and 

 metamorphofed into fuch a variety of defor- 

 mities, that we are hardly brought to conceive, 

 it has a natural fhape j or the power, which 

 other trees have, of hanging with eafe. Yet 

 it has this power in a great degree ; and in 

 a ftate of nature, except in expofed iituations, 

 is perhaps one of the moft beautiful ever- 

 greens we have. Indeed, I know not, whether 

 all things confidered, it is not fuperior to 

 the cedar of Lebanon itfelf I mean to fuch 

 meagre reprefentatives of that noble plant, 

 as we have in England. The fame foil, 

 which cramps the cedar, is congenial to 

 the yew. 



It is but feldom however, that we fee the 

 yew in perfection. In New-foreft it formerly 

 abounded: but it is now much fcarcer. It 

 does not rank among timber-trees ; and being 

 thus in a degree unprivileged, and unpro- 

 tected by foreft-laws, it has often been made 

 booty of by thofe, who durft not lay violent 

 hands on the oak, or the am. But ftill in 

 many parts of the foreft, fome noble fpecimens 

 of this tree are left. One I have often vifited, 



which 



