AND ROBERT MARSH AM. 281 



LETTER XII. 



MARSHAM TO WHITE. 



Stratton : July 14. 92. 



MY DEAR SIR, 



AFTER many attempts on my part, at length our inveterate 

 enemy, Madam Procrastination, has permitted me to offer my 

 thanks to you for your very pleasing letter of the 20 th of 

 March. As one of 85 years i acknowledge her haggard form; 

 but half a century ago, she sometimes appeared as a Siren. 

 So Fuseli may be puzzled, whether he should paint her young 

 or old. 



You oblige me, & i heartily thank you, for looking on me 

 as a Selborne man. I am certainly a well-wisher wherever 

 your interest or pleasure is concerned. All the compliment i 

 can make you in return, is to call a favourite Beech by the 

 name of Mr White's Beech. You know Linnaeus compli- 

 mented his friends, by calling new plants after their names. 

 This is not in my power to do, as i know but few old ones. 

 But you should know some particulars of your Tree. 'Tis 

 about 50 years old, & runs clear about 25 feet, then about as 

 much in handsome head, preserving its stem straight to the 

 top, & spreads a circle of about 50 feet diameter. This i 

 reckon the handsomest proportion for an out-side Grove Tree. 

 For an inside Grove Tree, i should wish the stem longer, 

 about 2 thirds of the height, & the spread of the head less : & 

 for the Lawn or single pasture Tree, i wish the branches 

 should hang so low as only to suffer a man to ride on horse- 

 back under them ; & the Tree to appear at a little distance 

 like a green hill. These are my proportions for the beauty of 

 Trees in different situations. But i will quarrel with no man, 

 if he likes other proportions better. I presume that Grove of 

 Oaks called Losels, mentioned in my favourite Book, p. 5. ran 



