i6z The S^^tural Hijlory 
at Binfield and Blunds Court ? and at the latter how joyned in fo 
firange a mixture, as Hafel-nuts^ a Stags head., zndVrns \ and 
at fom places only, with an Alabafirine kind of fubftance ? re- 
mains yet a knot notfo eafily loofed. However, frnce attemts 
havefomtimes pleafed, and it has always been acceptable in ma^ 
gn/A voluife-, I fhall adventure to propound my prefent thoughts ^• 
ftill referving the liberty to my fe/f^ as well as Reader^ of thinking 
otherwife when fufficient grounds of change fliall ofter themfelves. 
at any time hereafter^ 
56. Firftthen, as for the timber dug at Binfield-htzth^ 'tis 
likely that might befelFd and buryed there when Societies of men 
(which I guefs was not common till the days of King Alfred') un- 
der fome Mean^ or Lord Far amount^ firft chofe to themfelves cef * 
tain places of aboad, and promoted Agriculture : which that 
they might the better do. they fell'd and buryed the timber which 
they could not well burn with the under-wood. Thus, as I have 
been informed by a very worthy Perfon, who had it from his 
aged Father^ did our Grand-fathers ferve their timber in the in- 
land parts of Kent to make room for tillage^ digging a trench by 
each tree after it was fell'd, andfo tumbling it in, its fale not be- 
ing worth the portage, even there, fo few years ago. Much ra* 
ther therefore might the firft Planters of Binfield-\\t2iX\\ throw- 
it into Ponds, or other hollow places ready at hand, to make 
room as well for habitation as tillage^ in ancienter times : which I 
guefs might be done in the Reign of King Alfred^ i. becaufehe 
divided the Kingdom into Shires znd Hundreds; and 2. becaufe 
Binfield gives name to the Hundred (however inconfiderable it be 
now) in this woody part of the County. 
57. Moreover, that this Timber muft be buryed by defign, 
and notcafually over-thrown, either by their rootsht'mg loofen'd 
by to much wet, occafioned by the obftrudion of Rivers^ as Cam^ 
den ^ apprehends thofe Trees were, found in Chatmofs in Lanca- 
fiire : Nor by the over-flowing of any Pavers., nor fall of any 
Torrent^ as Steno would have it' : Nor undermined by fubterrane- 
ou^ flreams^ or diffolution of matter underneath them, as Dr. 
Jackson thinks it happened about 1 8 years fince at Bilkely in 
Hereford-Jhire^ is plain and evident ; for that all the Country here^ 
^ Camden 'm Lancajhlre. * Steno in Prodrom. concQxn'ing the matter of beds. Philofoph.Trant 
ail. Nim.')'^. 
about 
