C 34 ] 



Oak ; and I am apprehenfive neither of 

 them lived two years out to fee the event 

 of it. And as it has been faid, Homer had 

 not been fo confiderable a Foet^ had he 

 been a copyift of others labours 5 fo I may 

 fay Mr. Evelyn had not been fo bad a Natu^ 

 ralijl^ had he not by copying again in as 

 bad a manner, as after Mr. Lawjon for pre- 

 cedents, alighted on one lefs parallel than 

 elms, poplars, or hollies, for his juftificati- 

 on of Oak hough-lopping by unhappily 

 mifapplying fome verfes of Fir gi I in Geor- 

 gic 2d, which accordingly he quotes for 

 his authority 5 viz, 



tunc Jiringe comas y tunc brachia tonde^ 



{Ante reformidantferrum)tunc denique dura 

 Exerce imperia^ et ramos compefce Jiuentes, 



The verfes immediately preceding theft, 

 being 



Inde ubi jam validis ample xa Jtirpibus ulmos 



Exierint — 



The Poet meaning vifes. 



Or if that was not his mifconftruffion, it 

 was ftill as great a miftake, to found general 



maxims 



