OF FOREST-TREES. 



309 



in their lops three cords of fire-wood : their bodies were not of the tallest, CHAP, 

 having been topped when they were young, to reduce them to an uniform '^""^ 

 height ; yet was the timber most excellent for its scantling, and for their 

 heads, few in England excelling them : where some of their contempo- 

 raries were planted single in the park without cumber, they spread above 

 fourscore feet in arms. All of them since cut down and destroyed by the 

 person who continued to detain the just possession of that estate from those 

 to whom of right and conscience it belonged. Since then it is disposed of, 

 and I am glad it has fallen into the hands of the present possessor. 



But I have some few instances to superadd, of no mean encouragement, 

 before I dismiss my reader, because they are so very pregnant and authen- 

 tic. Sir Thomas Southwell, after he had sold and felled all the timber 

 and underwood in a certain parcel of land lying inCarbrook,in the county 

 of Norfolk, called by the name of Latimer- Wood, containing eighty acres, 

 (now, as I understand, belonging to Sir Robert Clayton, knight,) granted 

 a lease of the said ground, with other land, to one Thomas Wastney, the 

 father, with liberty to grub and stub up all the wood and stub-shoots re- 

 maining, and to clear the said ground for pasture or tillage, as he should 

 think to be most for his profit and advantage. Accordingly he puts out 

 the same to labourers to stub and clear ; but was, it seems, persuaded by 

 one of them, to preserve some of the young stands or saplings then grow- 

 ing there, as that which might be of greater emolument to him before the 

 expiration of the lease, than if he should quite extirpate them, and con- 

 vert the said ground to tillage. These saplings were then so small, as when 

 it happened that any of the labourers did break the haft of his mattock, 

 he could hardly find one amongst them big enough to make another of 

 for his present use : nay, when the said labourers had made an end of 

 clearing the ground of the old stub-shoots, upon which the timber and 

 underwood did grow, (which is now fifty years since,) there was not a tree 

 left growing in it, that could be valued at above threepence, to be felled 

 for any use or service. About the year 1650, the estate being then come 

 (after the death of Sir Richard Crane, knight) to William Crane, Esq. 

 and the lease of the same to Thomas Wastney, the son, he offered five 

 hundred of the best of the said young Oak saplings to one Daniel Hall, a 

 dealer in timber, for two shillings and sixpence the tree ; which he refu- 

 sing to give, the said Thomas Wastney making his application to Mr. 

 Crane above-mentioned, (the owner of the estate,) and desiring Daniel 

 Volume II. r 



