CHAP, vii SYLVA 173 



since caused in that goodly country ; which being 

 then an almost continual forest, is now so sadly 

 wasted. Nor has this been the fate of Germany 

 alone, but of all the most flourishing parts of Europe, 

 thro' the execrable and unsatiable ambition of those 

 who have been the occasion of the ruin not only of 

 these venerable shades, stately trees and avenues, (the 

 graceful ornaments of the most princely seats) but of 

 the miserable desolation of entire provinces, which 

 their legions have left, with the murders of so many 

 Christians, inhumanly, and without distinction or just 

 provocation ! Mischiefs not to be repair'd in many 

 ages, the truculent and savage marks (among others) 

 of a most Christian King, nomine non re ! In the 

 mean time, what provision this demolisher of woods 

 in other countries, makes to furnish and store his 

 own dominions with so necessary a material, we have 

 mentioned in this chapter, and how impolitick a 

 waste there was of timber in France in John Bodins's 

 time, see Repub. lib. VI. cap. I. 



But (leaving this sad and melancholy prospect) 

 I return to foreign descriptions (the effects of peace) 

 and it shall be that plantation of elms, carried out of 

 England by Philip the Second of Spain, to adorn his 

 royal palace at Aranjuez (of which I have already 

 spoken, cap. IV. lib. I.) near Madrid in Spain : The 

 palace is seated on the bank of the famous river 

 Tagus, and the plantation on the north, where there 

 is a piece of ground inclos'd, form'd into walks of 

 680 yards long, and 300 in breadth, in shape of a 

 trapezium or parallelogram, about which the Tago is 

 artificially drawn to fence it. Next the river-side 

 are more walks, not above 20 foot in breadth (for 

 closer shade) planted on each side with double ranks 



