The Story of our English Woodlands. 47 



Labour, much in our clays neglected as haply reputed a con- 

 sideration of toe sordid a nature for noble persons and gentle- 

 men to busie themselves withal, and who oftener find out occa- 

 sions to fell down and destroy their woods and plantations than 

 either to repair or improve them ; " and a little further on, 

 " For I observe there is no part of Husbandry by which Men 

 commonly more fail in, neglect and have causes to repent of, 

 than that they did not begin Planting betimes, without which 

 they can expect neither Fruit, Ornament or Delight from their 

 labours. Men seldom plant Trees till they begin to be wise, 

 that is till they grow old, and find by Experience the prudence 

 and necessity of it. When Ulysses, after a ten years' absence, 

 was returned from Troy, and coming home found his aged 

 father in the field planting of trees, he asked him, why (being 

 now so far advanced in years) he would put himself to the 

 fatigue and labour of planting that which he was never likely 

 to enjoy the fruits of? The good old man (taking him for a 

 stranger) gently reply 'd, I plant (says he) against my son 

 Ulysses comes home. The application is obvious and instruc- 

 tive to young and old." 



" Many learned and judicious men," Evelyn says, " had 

 preceded him in this argument," — as many, at least, as have 

 undertaken to write and compile " vast Herbals and Theaters 

 of plants," such as E,ay, — but there were none who had taken 

 any considerable pains to direct and encourage their country- 

 men in the culture of forest trees, though " small sprinklings " 

 might be found in the works of Gervase Markham, old Tusser, 

 and of foreigners. 



For all this, however, as we know from this same author's 

 diary, ^ the land in many places was covered with forest trees, 

 and the demesnes of a few noblemen were rich in floral orna- 

 mentation at the period when he wrote. His own^ ancestral 

 estate is described as " well wooded and full of timber," and 

 the house so sweetly environed " with those delicious streams 

 and venerable woods, as, in the judgment of Strangers as well 

 as Englishmen, it may be compared to one of the most pleasant 

 Seates in the Nation." 



' Diary of Evelyn. 



