46 S Y L V A BOOK in 



in Suffolk ; and indeed it would be thought fabulous 

 but to recount only the extraordinary dimensions of 

 some timber-trees growing in that country ; and of 

 the excessive sizes of these materials, had not mine 

 own hands measur'd a table (more than once) of 

 above five foot in breadth, nine and an half in length, 

 and six inches thick, all intire and clear (not reckoning 

 the slab.) This plank cut out of a tree fell'd by my 

 grandfather's order, was made a pastry-board, and lay 

 on a frame of solid brick-work at Wotton in Surrey, 

 where it was so placed before the room was finish'd 

 about it, or wall built, and yet abated by one foot 

 shorter, to confine it to the intended dimensions of 

 the place ; for at first, it held this breadth, full ten 

 foot and an half in length : By an inscription cut in 

 one of the sides, it had lain there above an hundred 

 years. To this may be added, that table of one plank, 

 of above 75 foot long, and a yard broad through the 

 whole length, now to be seen in Dudly-Castle-Hall, 

 which grew in the park, describ'd by Dr. Plot, Nat. 

 Hist, of Staffordshire. Mersennus tells us that the 

 great ship call'd the Crown, which the late French 

 King caus'd to be built, has its keel-timber 120 foot 

 long ; and the main-mast 1 2 foot diameter at the 

 bottom, and 85 in height. 



14. To these I might add a yew-tree in the 

 Church-yard of Crowhurst in the County of Surrey, 

 which I am told is ten yards in compass ; but espec- 

 ially that superannuated yew-tree growing now in 

 Braburne Church-yard, not far from Scots-Hall in 

 Kent ; which being 58 foot 1 1 inches in the circum- 

 ference, will bear near twenty foot diameter, as it 

 was measur'd first by my self imperfectly, and then 

 more exactly for me, by order of the late Right 



