THE EDITOR'S PREFACE. 9 



His Grace the Duke of Portland lays me under the greatest obligation, 

 by presenting this work with two most elegant views of the greendale 

 OAK. Mr. Grimm's delineation of this venerable Tree deserves the 

 highest encomiums ; and I have great satisfaction in acknowledging the 

 merits of Messrs. Rooker and Vivares, whose Engravings have done it all 

 imaginable justice. Each View has its Skeleton annexed, that the excel- 

 lence of the workmanship might not be injured by the Table of Mensu- 

 ration. Mr. John Miller has shown great elegance and correctness in 

 his department as a draughtsman and engraver ; and I am singularly 

 obliged to Mr. Bartolozzi for the fine head of Mr. Evelyn, which stands 

 an unrivalled monument of his excellence as an Artist. 



I beg leave to present my warmest acknowledgments to Sir John, 

 Russel, Bart, and to Thomas Frankland, Esq. for their friendly care in 

 overlooking the artists in their different departments. Without their 

 assistance the plates would hg^ve been less worthy of the public appro- 

 bation. 



I esteem myself greatly indebted to my most excellent and learned 

 friend the Rev. Mr. Cappe, for his kind assistance in the elucidation of 

 several obscure passages and corruptions of the Text. 



Having explained my motives for undertaking this design, and acknow- 

 ledged my obligations where due, either for civility or information, I 

 have nothing left but to observe, that the liberties I have taken with the 

 Text, in a variety of places, are warranted from a careful collation of the 

 five editions with some Original Manuscripts, without which J could 

 not possibly have proceeded with any degree of satisfaction : for of all the 

 books in the English language, there are, perhaps, none so incorrect as 

 the two last editions of the Silva : The one printed in 1704) ; the other 

 in 1729. 



