256 



A DISCOURSE 



BOOK III, an instance of a friend of mine, and a member of this society, of which 

 "■^"y^^ the wood-monger has little cause to brag, since he never durst come at 



him, or challenge his money for the commodity he brought, because he 



durst not stand to the measure. 



At Hall, near Foy, there is a faggot which consists of but one piece of 

 wood, naturally grown in that form, with a band wrapped about it, and 

 parted at the ends into four sticks, one of which is subdivided into two 

 others : it was carefully preserved many years by an earl of Devonshire, 

 and looked on as portending the fate of his estate, which is since indeed 

 come into the hands of four Cornish gentlemen, one of whose estates is 

 likewise divided betwixt two heirs. This we have out of Camden, and I 

 here note it for the extravagancy of the thing ; though as to the verity of 

 such portents from trees, &c. I do not find upon inquiry (which I have 

 diligently made of my lord Brereton) that there is any certainty of the 

 rising of those logs in the lake belonging to that noble person, so as still to 

 premonish the death of the heir of that family, how confidently soever re- 

 ported ; though sometimes it has happened, but the event is not constant. 

 To this class may be referred what is affirmed concerning the fatal pre- 

 diction of Oaks bearing strange leaves, which may be inquired of ; and 

 of accidents fasciating the boughs or branches of trees, as noticed by Dr. 

 Plot in Willows and other soft woods, especially in an Ash at Bisseter, 

 uniformly wreathed two or three times round : such a curiosity also hangs 

 up in the portico of the physic-garden at Oxford, in a top branch of 

 Holly, which shews itlikewise happening sometimes even to harderwoods; 

 and it is probable that such as we sometimes find so heliacally twisted, have 

 received some blast that has contracted the fibres, and curled them in that 

 extravagant manner. Wonderful contortion and perplexity of the parts 

 of trees may be seen and admired in Tseda roots, especially in that given 

 to the Royal Society by the right hon. the lord Somer, (the late most 

 learned president,) and now amongst the natural rarities of the repository. 



I will now describe to you the mystery of charring, (whereof some- 

 thing was but touched in the process of extracting tar out of the Pines,) 

 as I received it from a most industrious person. 



Of charcoal there is usually made three sorts, viz. one for the iron- 

 works, a second for gunpowder, and a third for London and court, be- 

 sides small-coals, of which we shall also speak in due place. 



