An Etcher s Voyage of Discovery. 301 



and the not inconsiderable size of its neighbors ; but 

 once under the shade of the great branches, the specta- 

 tor suddenly becomes aware of the weight and size of the 

 enormous limbs, and then makes deductions concerning 

 the strength of the trunk that can support them. The 

 impression is completed by making the tour of the trunk. 

 The whole tree is perfectly sound, and neither lightning 

 nor human hand has ever lopped off one branch. 



An impression prevails in England that the French 

 are indifferent to sylvan beauty, probably because wood 

 is their principal fuel, and therefore an immense destruc- 

 tion of young trees takes place yearly in the forests, 

 whilst the peasants amputate the arms of the older ones. 

 They often, however, preserve fine timber for ornament 

 as we do; and I learned without surprise that the fine 

 oaks, of which the giant just described was the chief and 

 king, enjoyed, in consequence of a decree of the owner 

 of the soil, absolute immunity from the axe. Many trees 

 in the same neighborhood, especially the old chestnuts, 

 must count their age by centuries ; and the beeches that 

 crest the Beuvray, though not finely developed, owing 

 to the altitude of their situation, give every evidence of 

 antiquity. The park of Monjeu, an estate belonging to 

 the Talleyrand family, near Autun, is full of magnificent 

 timber even yet, though much was destroyed by the 

 imprudence of a man of business, who, in the owner's 

 absence, sold it to a contractor. The haste with which 

 this unfortunate contract was annulled, at a heavy loss, 

 so soon as M. de Talleyrand became aware of what 

 had been done, is a proof that he valued the timber 



