44 S Y L V A BOOK in 



four foot at the stub, and near a yard at the top ; 

 besides a fork of almost ten foot clear timber above 

 the shaft, which was crown'd with a shady tuft of 

 boughs, amongst which, some were on each side 

 curved like rams-horns, as if they had been so indust- 

 riously bent by hand. This oak was of a kind so 

 excellent, cutting a grain clear as any clap-board (as 

 appear'd in the wainscot which was made thereof) 

 that a thousand pities it is some seminary of the 

 acorns had not been propagated, to preserve the 

 species. Chaucer's oak, though it were not of these 

 dimensions, yet was it a very goodly tree : And this 

 account I receiv'd from my most honour'd friend 

 Phil. Packer, Esq ; whose father (as lately the gentle- 

 man his brother) was proprietor of this park : But 

 that which I would farther remark, upon this occasion, 

 is, the bulk and stature to which an oak may possibly 

 arrive within less than three hundred years ; since it 

 is not so long that our poet flourish'd (being in the 

 reign of King Edward the Third) if at least he were 

 indeed the planter of those trees, as 'tis confidently 

 affirm'd. I will not labour much in this enquiry ; 

 because an implicit faith is here of great encourage- 

 ment; and it is not to be conceiv'd what trees of a good 

 kind, and in apt soil, will perform in a few years ; 

 and this (I am inform'd) is a sort of gravelly clay, 

 moisten'd with small and frequent springs. In the 

 mean while, I have often wish'd, that gentlemen 

 were more curious of transmitting to posterity, such 

 records, by noting the years when they begin any 

 considerable plantation ; that the ages to come may 

 have both the satisfaction and encouragement by 

 more accurate and certain calculations. Henry 

 Ranjovious planted a grove in Ditmarsh, anno 1580, 



