EXTINCT WOODS AND FORESTS. 143 



they were so desirous of destroying our Forest of Dean. It 

 is said that the commander of the Armada, the Duke of 

 Medina Sidonia, was expressly enjoined, if, when he landed, 

 for of effecting a landing they appear to have had no doubt, 

 he could not subdue our nation, and finally make good the 

 conquest, he should at least not leave one tree standing in 

 the Forest of Dean, 



" When I bagan, several years ago, to make minutes, 

 occasionally, on the present subject, I imagined, that the 

 fact of our forests having diminished had been generally 

 known, and universally admitted : but since that time a 

 very respectable body of men have expressed their dis- 

 belief of this; and would persuade us, if they could, that 

 there is yet a sufficient supply of oak timber in the country 

 to meet the demand. We know, that exclusive interests 

 often mislead the judgment, create apprehensions of 

 visionary disadvantages, and induce a belief of the exist- 

 ence of facts, which are wholly imaginary. I do not say, 

 that this observation is applicable to the shipbuilders on 

 the river Thames ; or that the promulgation of the opinion, 

 that there are yet sufficient native oaks to meet the 

 demand, is merely a temporizing project for preventing the 

 removal of the dockyards from the Thames to the Ganges ; 

 yet such an opinion can be of no real advantage to the 

 nation ; for most assuredly, to look in the face whatever 

 danger menaces our property, is the first step to subdue 

 it. To inform the nation at large by proclaiming it's 

 difficulties, is the best mode of securing the cordial and 

 indispensable cooperation of the people in x the execution 

 of measures commensurate to the impending evil. I shall 

 therefore proceed to show, that the disforested state of the 

 country is not an imaginary, but a real complaint, founded 

 on facts. The following outline of facts, collected from 

 various authorities, I presume will be sufficient, without 

 fully entering into the lengthened detail, which might be 

 done if thought necessary." 



He gives the names of some of the woods and forests in 



