THE OAK. 25 



an enormous mass, and would show as a large and 

 glorious structure among the dwellings and palaces 

 of man in town." 



The Swilcar Lawn Oak has been celebrated in 

 poetic strains by several modern bards ; among whom 

 may be particularised Mr. Mundy, whose mention 

 of it, in his poem of " Needwood Forest," drew 

 forth the following elegant compliment to himself, 

 and animated apostrophe to the venerable subject 

 of his verse, from the pen of Dr. Darwin : 



" Hail, stately Oak ! whose wrinkled trunk hath stood, 

 Age after age, the sov'reign of the wood ; 

 You, who have seen a thousand springs unfold 

 Their ravell'd buds, and dip their flowers in gold ; 

 Ten thousand times yon moon re-light her horn, 

 And that bright eye of evening gild the morn ! 



" Say, when of old the snow-hair'd druids pray'd 

 With mad-eyed rapture in yon hallow'd shade, 

 While to their altars bards and heroes throng, 

 And crowding nations join the ecstatic song ; 

 Did e'er such dulcet notes arrest your gales, 

 As Mundy pours along the list'ning vales ? 



" Yes, stately Oak, thy leaf-wrapp'd head sublime, 

 Ere long must perish in the wrecks of time ; 

 Should o'er thy brow the thunders harmless break, 

 And thy firm roots, in vain, the whirlwinds shake, 

 Yet must thou fall : thy with'ring glories sunk, 

 Arm after arm shall leave thy mould'ring trunk ! 

 But Mundy's verse shall consecrate thy name, 

 And rising forests envy Swilcar's fame ; 

 Green shall thy germs expand, thy branches play, 

 And bloom for ever in th' immortal lay." 



