[ ] 



nature : Yet that, it is human power at laft^ 

 directs the moft plealing and moft profitable 

 form — 



Having fpoken of one defedl of this 

 puiflant, but withal too paffive plant, or 

 rather a defedl of our clim^e in refpedt td 

 varying warmth and cold 3 I airi come now 

 on the contrary to fpeak more particularly 

 of a climatic excellence of ours. For al- 

 tho' heaven has not appropriated the Oak 

 peculiarly to our territories, as it has the 

 olive and the vine to foutheril climes ; vet 

 lias it with partial and favourite diftindlion, 

 in the J uper excellence of it*s conflituent parts 

 made it fuperlatively fpecial to Great Bri- 

 tain ; efpecialiy for naval ufeS, in which 

 confifts it's principal valuable charaderiftic, 

 above any that grows upon the continents 

 of Europe^ or Afnerica. For it is known 

 frora long experience, that, a fix poiind, or 

 as Sailors call it, a fix pounder bullet, will 

 pierce thro' a plank of a Britifi built iliip, 

 and not leave a hole big enough to put even 

 an egg in after it : Divine fignature of the 

 merits of this vegetable Mars ! And this 

 one fpecific quality enables oar floating 

 caftles^ to rival and even gain the fuperi- 

 M 2 Qiity 



