OF HARTING. 463 



slopes of the Warren and the Leith. In the marl and 

 the clay of the low lands it gives place to the Oak 

 \Qnercus pedunculatd), which ranges over the whole of 

 the area from the Mill Hanger, through Goose Green, 

 the Down park meadows, and the Nyewood plantations 

 to the East Harting meadows, but it is not confined to 

 these localities, the uphill covers are not without their 

 young oak timber, and, as we have already seen, it is 

 not wanting in the park. It is not improbable, indeed, 

 that three hundred years ago, when "pannage" was 

 one of the valuable appurtenances of wooded property, 

 oak was very abundant here, and that the greater 

 portion of it was felled when Sir Matthew Fetherston- 

 haugh purchased the estate. A few fine old specimens 

 were no doubt left standing here and there, but these 

 have nearly all disappeared from the more exposed 

 parts of the Park, where the terrific gales from the 

 south-west are sometimes terribly effective. As an 

 instance of this we may mention that on part of the 

 beautiful green slope now known as the Garden plain 

 there once stood a grove of stately beech trees, and we 

 have heard the late Sir Henry Fetherstonhaugh say 

 that from the lawn he saw the whole of them, upwards 

 of three hundred in number, levelled in a few minutes 

 by a sudden squall ! 



Our notice of the oak would be very incomplete if 

 we omitted to record a discovery that was made on 

 one of the finest old specimens in the Park by the 

 late Lady Murchison. Whether this particular tree is 

 still flourishing or not we do not know, but the follow- 

 ing, in her Ladyship's handwriting, is now before, 

 us : 



" INSCRIBED ON AN ANCIENT OAK TREE IN UPPARK. 



" ' Beneath this shade did antient Druids dwell ; 

 My Grandsire with the Roman Empire fell ; 

 Myself a sapling when my father bore 

 Victorious Henry to the Gallic shore.'" 



We had no doubt, when we transcribed this couplet, that it 

 was an original effusion composed on the spot expressly in honour 



