^28 



THE OAK. 



From some of the "buds two leaves had unsheathed 

 them-selves^ but in general only one. In ITSl, 

 one of its progeny, which grew in the gardens at 

 Bulstrode^ had its flower-buds perfectly formed 

 so early as the 21st of December, 



This early spring, however, of the Cadenliam 

 Oak, is of very short dui'ation. The buds, after 

 unfolding themselves, make no further progress, 

 but immediately shrink from the season, and die. 

 The tree continues torpid, like other deciduous 

 trees, during the remainder of the winter, and 

 vegetates again in the sprmg, at the usual season. 

 I have seen it in full leaf in the middle of sum- 

 mer, when it appeared, both in its form and 

 foliage, exactly like other Oaks."^ 



Dean "Wren, speaking of this tree, says, King 

 James could not be induced to believe the to on 

 {reason) of this, till Bishop Andi'ewes, in whose 

 diocese the tree grew, caused one of his own chap- 

 laines, a man of known integritye, to give a true 

 information of itt, which he did : for upon the 

 eve of the Nati^dtye he gathered about a hundi'ed 

 slips, "v^-ith the leaves newly opened, which he stuck 

 in claye in the bottom of long white boxes, and 

 soe sent them post to the courte, where they de- 

 servedly raised not only admiration, but stopt the 

 mouth of infidelitye and contradiction for ever. 

 Of this I was both an eye-witness, and did distri- 

 bute many of them to the great persons of both 



* A ™ter in the Saturday Magazine explains this phenomenon, 

 on the supposition that the tree was originally brought by some en- 

 thusiastic pilgrim from the Holy Land, and continued to put fonh its 

 leaves at the same season that it had budded in Palestine. This 

 supposition is undoubtedly very ingenious ; but, unfortunately, the 

 British Oak does not grow in Palestine, nor any other species so 

 closely resembling it as to be easily confounded -R-ith it. 



