CHAP, m S YL V A 53 



And for this of the palm, they fetch it from that of 

 7 Cant. 8. where 'tis said, ascendam in palmam^ & 

 apprehendam fructus ejus, and from other allegorical 

 and mysterious expressions of the Sacred Text, 

 without any manner of probability ; whilst by 

 Alphonsus Ciacconius, Lipsius, Angelus Rocca, Fal- 

 conius, and divers other learned men (writing on 

 this subject) and upon accurate examination of the 

 many fragments pretended to be parcels of it, 'tis 

 generally concluded to have been the oak ; and I do 

 verily believe it ; since those who have described 

 those countries, assure us there is no tree more 

 frequent ; which (with relation to several celebra- 

 tions and mysteries under oaks in the Old Testament) 

 has been the subject of many fine discourses. Nor 

 is it likely they should chuse, or assemble so many 

 sorts of woods with that curiosity, to execute one 

 upon, whom they esteemed a malefactor ; besides, 

 we read how heavy it was, which cypress, cedar and 

 palm are not in comparison with oak ; whilst Gretser 

 denies all this, lib. i. cap. 6. and concludes upon his 

 accurate examination of several fragments yet extant, 

 that 'tis not discernible of what timber it was fram'd. 

 We might add to these, the furious zeal ot the bloody 

 and malicious Jews (to see our B. Lord inhumanly 

 executed) could not possibly allow leisure to frame a 

 gibbet of so many rare and curious materials : Let 

 this therefore pass for an errant legend. 



That which is twin'd and a little wreathed (easily 

 to be discern'd by the texture of the bark) is best 

 to support burthens for posts, columns, summers, Gfc. 

 for all which our English oak is infinitely preferable 

 to the French, which is nothing so useful, nor com- 

 parably so strong ; insomuch as I have frequently 



