126 FAMILIAR TREES 



that a correspondent of the Gentleman's Magazine, 

 200 years later (vol. lvii., 1787), " was thoroughly 

 convinced, from the strictest inquiries." that the Box 

 was not wild at Boxley, in Kent. Ray says : 



" The Box grows wild on Box Hill, hence the name ; also at 

 Boxwell, on the Cotswold in Gloucestershire, and at Boxley in Kent, 

 where there were woods of tbis tree, according to Aubrey. It grows, 

 plentifully on the chalk hills near Dunstable." 



As to Box Hill, the most conclusive evidence has 

 been brought forward of late years. Not only did this 

 land never belong to the Earl of Arundel, who died in 

 1646 ; but the names of Adam de Buxeto and Henry 

 de Buxeto occur as witnesses to charters in connection 

 with this neighbourhood as early as the reigns of John 

 and Henry III. In 1602 the owner, Sir Matthew 

 Brown, leased a warren and its lodge, which were then 

 at that place, to Thomas Constable, the tenant cove- 

 nanting to preserve the Yew, Box, and all other trees 

 growing thereupon, and deliver a half-yearly account 

 of what shall be sold. Accordingly, in 1608, we get a 

 return, showing 50 worth of Box trees to have been 

 cut in that year. During a few years preceding 1712 

 trees were felled to the value of 3,000, and in 1815 

 the lord of the manor, Sir H. P. St. John Mildmay, 

 sold all the Box upon the hill of more than twenty 

 years' growth for 10,000. 



De Candolle points out that the name of the tree, 

 which at first sight appears so indubitably of Latin 

 origin, has its analogues not only in Slavonic but also 

 in Keltic and even Tartar languages. The Greek 

 Pyxos, Latin Buxus, French Buis, and German Bucks, 

 are at least traceable in the Illyrian Bus, the Breton 



