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The oldeft tree we have any account of, perhaps 
in Europe, is a Spanifh chefnut which grows in a 
court at Tortworth in Gloucefterfhire : it is fuppofed 
by Evelyn and Bradley to have been planted in the 
time of King John, from mention of it in deeds of 
that antiquity. 
I have, however, procured more accurate informa- 
tion from Lord Z)«aV, to whom this tree belongs j and 
find that the notion of its great age reds merely upon 
a very uncertain tradition. 
But although we fliould fuppofe it to have been 
planted in the time of King John, it affords no 
dronger argument of the tree’s being indigenous, 
than thofe mentioned by Dr. Ducarel to grow at 
Hagley; efpecially as there are no draggling chef- 
nuts to be found in the neighbourhood of either of 
thele places. 
In further proof that the chefnut formerly grew in 
this country, we are told, that the roof of Wcdminder- 
halI,Bodon church in Lincolndiire,and many others, 
confid of this wood j not becaufe any one hath found 
it to be fo upon examination, but becaufe there are 
no cobwebs upon fuch roofs. 
Sometimes alfo, to account for fpiders not harbour- 
ing in them, it is fuppofed that the timber is not 
Englifh, but Iridi oak j in fhort, recourfe is had to 
any extraordinary and uncommon material, to folve 
the fingularity of there being no cobwebs on thefe 
roofs. 
Having examined feveral ancient cielings with re- 
gard to this circumdance, I take the caufe of the 
fpiders not reforting to many of them to be the fol- 
This 
