196 Gilpin's foeest scenery. 



have been less than eleven or twelve feet. What 

 its age may be, is matter only of conjecture ; but, 

 from some circumstances, it is probably a tree of 

 great antiquity. The little knoll it stands on is 

 surrounded by a swamp, over which a causeway 

 leads to the tree, or rather to a circle Tvhich seems 

 to have run round it. The vestiges of this circle, 

 as well as the causeway, bear a plain resemblance 

 to those works which are commonly attributed to 

 the Druids. So that it is probable this tree was 

 a scene of worship belonging to those heathen 

 priests. But the credit of it does not depend on 

 the dubious vestiges of Druid antiquity. In a 

 later scene of greater importance (if tradition ever 

 be the vehicle of truth), it bore a great share. 

 When that illustrious hero, William Wallace, 

 roused the spirit of the Scotch nation to oppose 

 the tyranny of Edward, he often chose the soli- 

 tude of Torwood as a place of rendezvous for his 

 army. Here he concealed his numbers and his 

 designs, sallying out suddenly on the enemy's 

 garrisons, and retreating, as suddenly, when he 

 feared to be overpowered. While his army lay in 

 those woods, the Oak, which we are now com- 



