216 SYLVA FLO1UFE11A. 



are, or were, some elms planted in the time 

 of King Edward the Sixth ; and one at Rich- 

 mond, said to be planted by a courtier, of 

 King Henry VIL whilst that king kept his 

 court there." 



Madame de Genlis speaks of an elm of great 

 size in this country ; in the hollow trunk of 

 which she says a poor woman gave birth to 

 an infant, and where she afterwards resided 

 for a long time. This tree, which is a great 

 curiosity, is still standing in the village of 

 Crawley ; but as the parish is not willing to 

 be burthened with all the young elms that 

 might have been brought forth from the trunk 

 of this singular tree, the lord of the ma- 

 nor has very wisely put up a door to the en- 

 trance of this lying-in hospital, and which is 

 kept locked, except upon particular occasions, 

 when the neighbours meet to enjoy their pipe, 

 and tell old tales in the cavity of this elm, 

 that is capable of containing a party of more 

 than a dozen. The interior of this tree is 

 paved with bricks, and in other respects made 

 comfortable for those that it embarks. 



In our plantations we find but few trees 

 that excel the elm in height or beauty, parti- 

 cularly when it stands singly and meets a fa- 

 vourable soil. Its foliage then forms grand 

 masses of light and shade in a manner so pe- 



