288 LETTER X. 



.-'arrived at its prefent State. However, my own 

 thoughts upon the manner are; That fome crafty- 

 Fellow did privately (firft of all) cut off a good 

 -part of the Bough, and then (after boring a hole 

 in the lower Knobb) bended down the end till it 

 could reach to enter that fame hole in which it is 

 now fo firmly fixed; or perhaps the Fellow met 

 . with a Hole ready made tO- his Hands, by the 

 dyingof fome Bough^-j and a little affiftance of the 

 Bird.called a Wood-pecker. We have a cheat of 

 ■'..much the fame fort in an Afh-tree, growing in my 

 own Parifli of St.vMzr)', but the Seam where the 

 tvvo Boughs meet, da plainly enough chalk out 

 the contrivance:. In Ihort, they are both idle and 

 -j fcarce worth notice. .j 



-?•::.: J i^;^:Ho we ver, this, puts ime in mind, That 

 ^irrAthirtyi years ago L rode from Oxford, purpofely 

 ::y .to lee ia-very -noted Tfee, commonly known by 

 c.: jtbe ham<^ \6f Gal/ow-^^T'ree, on account of the 

 oddnefs of it's fliape in the lower parts. . Several 

 ,' Authors of unqaeftion^ble credit take notice of 

 it, efpeciaUy Bifhop A^/VZj^i:^y upon whofe Au- 

 thority I depended :for its being curious: How- 

 ever^ as I may in juftice prefume, it Js not uni- 

 . .vcffally heard of by my JEteaders, I crave liberty 

 to defcrlbe it as well as my parts and memory; at 

 this great diftance of time will admit of. It ftands 

 (if yet alive) on a Common, or Wafie Ground on 



the 



