154 S Y L V A BOOK i 



rather for present drinking, than of long duration, 

 unless the refrigeratorie be extraordinarily cold. The 

 very smell of the first springing leaves of this tree, 

 wonderfully recreates and exhilerates the spirits. 



10. But besides these, beech, alder, ash, sycomor, 

 elder, fc. would be attempted for liquors : Thus 

 crabs, and even our very brambles may possibly yield 

 us medical and useful wines. The poplar was hereto- 

 fore esteem'd more physical than the betula. The 

 sap of the oak, juice, or decoction of the inner bark, 

 cures the fashions, or farcy, a virulent and dangerous 

 infirmity in horses, and which (like cancers) were 

 reputed incurable by any other topic, than some actual, 

 or potential cautery : But, what is more noble, a dear 

 friend of mine affur'd me, that a countrey neighbour 

 of his (at least fourscore years of age) who had lain 

 sick of a bloody strangury (which by cruel tor- 

 ments reduc'd him to the very article of death) was, 

 under God, recover'd to perfect, and almost miraculous 

 health and strength (so as to be able to fall stoutly to 

 his labour) by one sole draught of beer, wherein was 

 the decoction of the internal bark of the oak-tree ; 

 and I have seen a composition of an admirable sudor- 

 ific, and diuretic for all affections of the liver, out 

 of the like of the elm, which might yet be drunk 

 daily, as our coffee is, and with no less delight : But 

 ^quacking is not my trade ; I speak only here as a 

 plain husband-man, and a simple forester, out of the 

 limits whereof, I hope I have not unpardonably trans- 

 gressed : Pan was a physician, and he (you know) was 

 president of the woods. But I proceed to the alder.) 



