12 



THE OAK. 



move around." Criminals were tried under an 

 Oak tree^ the judges being seated under the tree, 

 and the culprit placed witliin a cii'cle made by the 

 chief Druid's wand. The Saxons also held their 

 national meetino^s uiider an Oak; and the cele- 

 brated conference between the Saxons and the 

 Britons, after the invasion of the former, was held 

 under the Oaks of Dartmoor. The wood of the 

 Oak was appropriated to the most memorable uses. 

 King Arthur's round table was made of it, as was 

 the cradle of Edward II., when he was born at 

 Caernarvon Castle; this sacred wood being chosen 

 in the hope of conciliating the feelings of the 

 Welsh, who still retained the prejudices of their 

 ancestors, the ancient Britons. It was considered 

 unlucky to cut down any celebrated tree ; and 

 Evelyn gravely relates a story of two men, who cut 

 do^ra the Yicar's Oak, in Siu'rey ; one losing his 

 eye, and the other breaking his leg, soon after. 



The Oaks of Dartmoor, in Devonshire, men- 

 tioned in the above extract, have now nearly dis- 

 appeared. In one spot only is there any vestige 

 of what was once doubtless a favourite gathering- 

 place of the Druids. This spot, called Wistman's 

 AVood, is situated on Dartmoor, about a mile 

 above Two-Bridges, on the left bank of the river. 

 Imagine a mountain-stream creeping slowly among 

 blocks of moss-stained granite ; on either side ex- 

 tends a piece of flat boggy ground to an inconsi- 

 derable distance ; and at the extremity of these 

 the hills rise to the height of two or tlu^ee hun- 

 dred feet, capped here and there in the distance 

 with tors^ or rugged smnmits of granite. The 

 hill side is confusedly heaped with blocks of the 

 same stone, and it is in the interstices between 



