OAK TREE. 



283 



There is an Oak in the New Forest, near Cadenham, 

 and called the Cadenham Oak, which is remarkable for 

 budding every year in the depth of winter, like the 

 Glastonbury Thorn ; it is said by the country people to 

 produce its buds always on Christmas-day. These pre- 

 mature buds, after unfolding themselves, make no fur- 

 ther progress, but \vither away, and the tree again vege- 

 tates in the usual season, in the same manner as others of 

 its species. 



An Oak was planted at Penshurst, on the day of Sir 

 Philip Sidney's birth, of which Martyn speaks as stand- 

 ing in his time, and measuring twenty-two feet round. 

 This tree has since been felled, it is said by mistake : 

 would it be impossible to make a similar mistake with 

 regard to the mistaker 9 



Several of our poets have celebrated this tree ; Ben 

 Jonson, in his lines to Penshurst, says 



" Thou hast thy walks for health as well as sport ; 

 Thy mount to which thy Dryads do resort. 

 Where Pan and Bacchus their high seats have made. 

 Beneath the broad beech and the chestnut shade. 

 That taller tree which of a nut was set. 

 At his great birth where all the muses met. 

 There in the writhed bark are cut the names 

 Of many a sylvan taken with his flames." 



It is mentioned by Waller : ^ 



" Go, boy, and carve this passion on the bark 

 Of yonder tree, which stands the sacred mark 

 Of noble Sidney's birth." 



Southey says, speaking of Penshurst : 



^' Sidney here was born, 



Sidney, than whom no geiitkr. braver man. 



