THE LIME. 91 



lindens. In our own times the wood of the lime- 

 tree is valued chiefly by the carver. Grinling 

 Gibbons, the most celebrated wood-carver this 

 country has produced, usually employed it for his 

 more delicate and elaborate work, specimens of 

 which, nearly two hundred years old, are preserved 

 at Windsor Castle, at Chatsworth, and in St. Paul's 

 Cathedral, the lines sharp as when they came from 

 his dextrous fingers. Architects find it serviceable 

 for models of intended buildings ; the makers of 

 pianofortes also use it for sounding-boards, since 

 this wood does not warp with the changes of the 

 atmosphere. In colour it is pale yellow or whitish ; 

 in texture it is close-grained, and something in its 

 composition preserves it free from the attacks of 

 insects. Baskets and cradles were formerly, and 

 perhaps are still, manufactured from the young 

 shoots. 



The peculiarity referred to in respect of the twiggy 

 thicket in the centre of limes that have attained 

 maturity, is one not observable in any other British 

 tree. So dense is the mass, that to climb a full- 

 grown lime is nearly impossible. That which renders 

 the tree inaccessible to boys and men converts it, 

 however, into an asylum for little birds, and beautiful 

 is it to observe how, when chased by a hawk or 

 other enemy, the fugitives take refuge in the tangle. 



No doubt a similar asylum is provided in many 

 other ways by the kindness of nature, which means, 



