CHAP, xx S YL V A 193 



12. The pyracantha paliurus^ and like preciouser 

 sorts of thorn and robust evergreens, adorn 'd with 

 caralin-berries, might easily be propagated by seeds, 

 layers, or cutting, into plenty sufficient to store even 

 these vulgar uses, were men industrious ; and then, 

 how beautiful and sweet would the environs of our 

 fields be ! for there are none of the spinous shrubs 

 more hardy, none that make a more glorious shew, 

 nor fitter for our defence, competently arm'd ; espe- 

 cially the rhannus, which I therefore joyn to the 

 oxyacantha^ for its terrible and almost irresistible spines, 

 able almost to pierce a coat of mail ; and for this made 

 use of by the malicious Jews, to crown the sacred 

 tempels of our Blessed Saviour, and is yet preferred 

 among the most venerable reliques in St. Chapel at 

 Paris, as is pretended, by the devotees, <fc. and hence 

 has the tree (for it sometimes exceeds a shrub) the 

 name of Christ's Thorn. Thus might berberies now 

 and then be also inserted among our hedges, which, 

 with the hips, haws, and cornel-berries, do well in 

 light lands, and would rather be planted to the South, 

 than North or West, as usually we observe them. 



13. Some (as we noted) mingle their very hedges 

 with oaklings, ash, and fruit-trees, sown or planted, 

 and 'tis a laudable improvement ; though others do 

 rather recommend to us sets of all one sort, and will 

 not so much as admit of the black-thorn to be mingled 

 with the white, because of their unequal progress ; 

 and indeed, timber-trees set in the hedge (though 

 contemporaries with it) do frequently wear it out ; 

 and therefore I should rather encourage such planta- 

 tions to be at some yards distance, near the verges, 

 than perpendicularly in them. Lastly, if in planting 

 any the most robust forest-trees, (especially oak, elm, 



