150 



A DISCOURSE 



altogether as exquisitely diapered, and waved like tlie lines of the Agate. 

 Dr. Plott speaks of an eminent example of divers strange figures of fish, 

 men, and beasts to be found in a dining- table made of an old Ash, 

 standing in a gentleman's house somewhere in Oxfordshire ; upon which 

 is mentioned that of Jacobus Gafferellus, in his book of " Unheard-of 

 Curiosities," namely, of a tree found in Holland, which, being cleft, had, 

 in several slivers, the figures of a chalice, a priest's alb, his stole, and 

 several other pontifical vestments. Of this sort was the Elm growing 

 at Middle-Aston in Oxfordshire, a block of which wood being cleft, 

 there came out a piece so exactly resembling a shoulder of veal, that 

 it was worthy to be reckoned among the curiosities of this nature. 



4. The use of the Ash is (next to that of Oak itself) one of the most 

 universal: It serves the soldier — etFraocinus uiilis Jiastis^ — and heretofore 

 the scholar, who made use of the inner bark to write on, before the 

 invention of paper. The carpenter, wheelwright, and cartwright find 

 it excellent for ploughs, axle-trees, wheel-rings, harrows, bulls ; it makes 

 good oars, blocks for pullies, and shefFs, as seamen name them : For 

 drying herrings no wood is like it, and the bark is good for the tanning 

 of nets ; and, like the Elm, (for the same property of not being apt to 

 split and scale,) is excellent for tenons and mortises ; also for the cooper, 

 turner, and thatcher ; nothing is like it for our garden palisade hedges, 

 hop-yards, poles, and spars, handles and stocks for tools, spade-trees, &:c. 

 In sum, the husbandman cannot be without the Ash for his carts, 

 ladders, and other tackling, from the pike, spear, and bow, to the plough ; 

 for of Ash w^ere they formerly made, and therefore reckoned amongst 

 those woods which, after long tension, have a natural spring, and recover 

 their position ; so as in peace and war it is a wood in highest request : 

 In short, so useful and profitable is this tree, next to the Oak, that every 

 prudent Lori^, of a Manor should employ one acre of ground with Ash 

 to every twenty acres of other land, since in as many years it would be 



y Spears were anciently made of Myrtle, Cornel, and Hazel ; but Pliny prefers the Ash 

 for that purpose. " Obedientissima quocumque in opere fraxinus, eademque hastis corylo 

 " melior, corno levior, sorbo lentior." Homer arms his heroes with spears of Ash : 



From Pelion's cloudy top an Ash entire. 

 Old Chiron fell'd, and shap'd it for his sire. 



POPE. 



