INTRODUCTION Ixvii 



as amended during Queen Elizabeth's reign (in 1570), yet 

 Standish's treatise was the first occasion (so far as I have 

 been able to discover) on which a private subject had endeav- 

 oured to stimulate the progress of British Forestry by 

 means of the publication of his views in the form of a small 

 book. His aims and objects are thus described on the title- 

 page of the second or royal edition of 1615 : " NEW 

 DIRECTIONS OF EXPERIENCE AUTHORIZED BY THE 

 King's most excellent Majesty, as may appeare, for the in- 

 creasing of Timber and Fire-wood, with the least waste and 

 losse of ground. WITH A NEARE ESTIMATION, what millions 

 of acres the Kingdome doth containe ; what acres is waste 

 ground, wherever little profit for this purpose will arise 

 which waste being deducted, the remaine is twenty-five 

 millions ; forth of which millions, if two hundred and forty 

 thousand Acres be planted and preserved according to the 

 directions following, which is but the hundred part of the 

 twenty-five millions, there may be as much timber raised, as 

 will maintaine the Kingdome for all uses for ever. And 

 how as great store of Fire-wood may be raised, forth of 

 hedges, as may plentifully mainetaine the Kingdome for all 

 purposes, without losse of ground ; so as within thirty years 

 all Spring-woods 1 may be converted to Tillage and Pasture. 

 By Arthur Standish. Anno Domini MDCXV. " 



This was the only work of the sort which had been publish- 

 ed up to the time of Evelyn's Syha appearing about fifty years 

 later, in 1662. It is curious that he made no reference to 

 this work written with similar objects to those he himself 

 had in view. Another work, however, he does mention, 

 evidently that of a practical horticulturist and arboriculturist, 

 probably belonging to a lower status of society than himself. 

 Writing of the New Orchard and Garden (1597, 2nd. edit. 

 1623), he patronises the author by calling him * our 

 countryman honest Lawson ' ; and after giving a long quota- 

 tion from it with regard to pruning, he complacently concludes 

 by adding l Thus far the good man out of his eight and forty 

 years experience concerning timber-trees. ' 



Evelyn had the satisfaction of seeing his work bear much 

 fruit during his own life-time, and this must have occasioned 



1 Coppices. 



