[ 45 ] 



parts of it*s body being ceffible longitudi- 

 nally, it would burft open, which wood- 

 wards call fcoakering — Or otherwife upon 

 a ftagnation (which would equal the ana- 

 logous event of the ftagnation of blood in 

 animals) would enfue inftant death. A cafe 

 which frequently happens to old pollards, 

 where the bark is too thick to admit of the 

 kinds of ramifications I wanted fo much to 

 guard againft. But yet I had gained no- 

 thing by thefe refleftions, excepting that 

 our manner of procefs had been too violent. 

 For ftill to difcover, at leaft to prevent the 

 mifchief thereupon, and how to find out 

 the right falutary manner of dijbranching an 

 Oak J I was yet as much at a lofs, as thofe 

 that go groping in the twilight only of 

 reafon. 



I HAD, it is true, the great example of 

 Sir Francis Bacon in my cafe, to enter on 

 fome new experiment or other, and per- 

 ceived how many fair hints were to be col- 

 lected from his Centuries^ for my manner j 

 as alfo the encouragement how many truths 

 before hidden he had unveiled to future 

 ages \ and likewlfe to my comfort, that even 

 he, attributed his fucceffes more to his <^ 



fiduity^ 



