^.p ' The fixte en th Booie of 



cecding big one which grew in Cypriis^and wasCnt downe fora maft to ferve th4c mighiic gal= q 

 leace oi king Demetrim^ that had eieven bankes of oaies to a fide; a hundred and thicae foot it 

 was highjand three fatham thicke. And no maEvel!;fince thatthe pyratcs and rovers wlro haunt 

 the coafts of Germaniejmake their piints or troughs of oneendre peece of wood and no mocCj 

 wrought hollow in manner of a boatjand fomeone of then") will hold thirtie men. - .j ' , ? jo 



To proceed now unto the fundrie natures of wood.The moft ma0ie and faft wood, arid there- ' 

 fore the weightieft of all other^ by judgement of meR,is that of the Ebene and {he Boxe : both 

 finall trees by nature. Jsfeither of them twain fwimmeth above the waterjoo more will the Cdrke 

 woodjif it be harkedjnor the Larch. Of all the reft, the faddeft wood is that of Lotiis, I rasane 

 that which at Rorncisfo called, ^slext to itjis the heart of Okejnamely^when it is fid of the whits 

 fappie wood : the heart (I fay) which commeth nearc to a blacke colour : and yet the Cy tifiis or 

 TretrifoiieisblackerjandfeemethmofttorefembietheEbcne. Howbeit, youlball have fomej 

 whoaffirmethatthefcebinthsof Syria bee blacker than it. Thercwasonc Theric'es Q.h\no\\% 

 Turnerjwhowaswdnrtomakedrinkingcups, mazers,and bowiesof theTerebirirhj which is a 

 fufficient proofejthattlic wood is fine and hard.This wood alone of all othcrs^Ioveth to bee oi- 

 ledjandfurely the better it is for the oile. But a marvellous preticdevife thereistofet a paffing 

 faire blacke colour,andafhining glolTe upon itj with Walnuts and wild Pearcs3namely5boiling 

 thefe together, and making thereof a mixture and compofition to give the faid lindure. Ail. 

 theie trees abovenanied have a fad and faftwood. Next to them in thatrefpe^l is the Cornell 

 tree: and yet I cannot properly raunge it in the order of timber trees, fo fmall and flender it is. 

 Neither is the wood thereof goodin mannerfor nought els but for /pokes in cartwheeles, alfo | 

 to make wedges to cleave woodland rough pins^which will hold asfaft well neare as yron fpikcs Jn- 

 like fortjthe Maft-holme^the Olive both wild and tame5the Cheftnut trec^the Hornebeame^and 

 the Poplatjbeof an hardfubftancejand meet for this purpofe. The wood hereof hath a curled 

 graine like the Maple, and furely would bee as good timber as any, but for often lopping the 

 boughsjwhich gueldeth and deminifheth the ftrength Jvloreoverjmany of them there beejSnd 

 the Oke e/pecialiy,fo hard^that unlefle they be foked firft in water,it is impofllble to bore a hole 

 into them with an augoerjuor topluckeforthanaileif itbe oncefetfaftjWaterthcm as much as 

 youwill.ContrariwifejtheCedarwillnotholdanaile. The wood of the Linden trecfcemcth of 

 all other to be moft fofrjand hoteft withall : for proofe whereofjthis reafon men doe alleadge^be- 

 caufe it fooneft turneth and dulleth the axe edge. Of a bote nature alfo are the Mulberric tree, 

 thcLawreiljand the Yvie,and in one wordjallthofe that ferve to ftrike fire wiih.This experiment 

 was firft found out by fpiesjthat goe betweene campe and campe^by fheepheards alfo in the field ; 

 for having not flint evermore readie at hand to finite and kindle fire withall, they make fbifcfor 

 to rub and grate one wood a gainf^ another5& by this attrition there flie out fparckles, which ligh- 

 ting upon iome tindetjmade either of drie rotten touchwood, or of bunts and withered leaves, 

 very quickly catch fitejandburne not out. And for this intent, there is nothing better than to 

 ftrike the Yvie wood,with the Bay.hi this cafe alfo the wild V ine(I meane not Labrulca)is much 

 commended : and it climbeth and runneth upon trees in manner of Yvie. 



The trees that grow in waterie grounds be coldefl of all others : but fuch be toughefl,& ther- 

 fore beft to make bucklers and targuets,the wood whereof, if it bee cut, commeth quickly toge- £ 

 ther,and clofeth up the gath again,& in that regard, much adoe there is to pierce it through wxth ^ 

 any weapon whatfoever.And of this fort are Fig trees, WiiloweSjLindenSjBirch^EIderjAilijand 

 Poplar. Of all thefe,the Fig tree and the Willow bee lighteft, and therefore fitteff for that pur- 

 pofe.Thefe trees laft rehcarfedjbee good for caskets and fofTcrs ; wicker baskets alio and prectie 

 paniers,which be made of winding twigs.Their wood befides is faire and white/tr eight alfo and 

 cafieto be graven.The Plane wood is foft and gentle,but moiff withallj and fo is the Alder.Elme 

 likewife,Aii»,Mulberrie,and Cherry-tree wood, is pliable,but drier and morepowderous. The , 

 Elme,ofall kinds ofwood, will kcepeftreight and ftife beft, andnotwarpeatalliand becaufe it 

 twinethand caftcth not, it is paffing good for hinges and hookes, for fawne bords, for led- 

 ges in dores and gates :fo as ihisregard beehadof exchange, thatthe upper end of thebord j^j 

 which grew toward the head of the tree, bee fitted to the nether hinge or hooke of the dorej 

 and conirariwife the butt end,fetve the higher. The Date tree and the Corke, have a foft & ten- 

 der wood : the Apple trec,Peare tree,and Maple, have as fad and maffie t but brittle it is,like as 

 all wood that goeth withacroflTe and&izled graine. And looke what tree foever is naturally hard 



and 



