TIM 
f frenglli, and to turn to the greatest advan- 
tage, of having the best part of the tree in 
the place where the hardness and strength 
are most wanted, viz. in tlw corners which 
form the abutments ; whereas, the same 
tree squared into a parallel beam, would 
have been much smaller, and the soft or 
sappy parts of the wood exposed to the ac- 
tion of the air and moisture. In flush- 
framing it is observable, that the failure of 
all timber in old buildings has commenced 
much sooner than they otherwise would, 
have dona, owing to the sappy wood being 
at the corners ot the principal beams, which 
soon, decays, as its spongy quality attracts 
the moisture ; wherea,s the heart, espe- 
cially of oak, will be as sound as the first day 
it was used. 
As all beams take their weight horizon- 
tally, oi‘ on any transverse bearing, have 
their principal strain on the upper and low^er 
surface, every workman ought to guard 
against Jiaving sap in beams, because if 
they do not immediately decay, they shrmk, 
so as to let loose all the framing, and soon 
cripple the building or machine ; but on 
Mr. Smart’s i)lan the sappy part of the wood 
is excluded fiom what would cause its de- 
cay, and the timber increased in quantity is 
considerably more than the extra labour 
and expense. 
Timber frees, in law, are properly oak, 
ash, and elm. In some particular coun- 
tries, by local custom, other trees, being 
commonly there made use of for building, 
are considered timber. Of these, being’ 
part of the freehold, larceny cannot be 
committed ; but, if they be severed at one 
time, and carried away at another, then the 
stealing of them is larceny. And by several 
late statutes, the stealing of them in the 
first instance is made felony, or incurs a pe- 
Cuniary forfeiture. For the better p'reser- 
vation of roots, shrubs, and plants, it is 
enacted, by 6 George III. c. 48, that every 
person convicted of damaging, destroying, 
or carrying away any timber-tree, or trees, 
or trees likely to become timber, without 
consent of the owner, &c. shall forfeit for 
the first offence not exceeding 2bZ. with 
the charges attending ; and on non-payment 
Shall be committed for not more than 
twelve, nor less than six months ; for the 
second offence, a sum not exceeding sol. 
and on non-payment shall be committed for 
not more than eighteen, and not less than 
twelve months ; and for the third offence, is 
to be transported for seven years. All 
eak, beech, chesnut, walnut, ash, dm, ce- 
TIM 
dar, fir, asp, lime, sycamore, add birch 
trees, shall be deemed and taken to be' 
tiuiber trees, within the true meaning and 
provision of this act. Persons convicted 
of plucking up, spoiling, or taking away any 
k)ut, shrub,, or plant, out of private culti- 
vated ground, shall forfeit for the first of- 
fence, any sum not exceeding 40s. with the 
charges ; for tiie second offence, a sum not 
exceeding 51. with the charges; and for 
the third offence are to be transported lor 
seven years. A power is given to justices 
of the peace to put this act in execution, 
TIME, a succession of phenomena in the 
univeme ; or a mode of duration, marked 
by certain periods or measures, chiefly by 
the motion and revolution of the sun. 1 he 
idea of time, in the general, Mr. Locke ob- 
seiwes, we acquire by considering any part 
of infinite duration as set out by periodical 
measures : the idea of any particular time, 
or length of duration, as a day, an hour, &c. 
we acquire first, by observing certain ap- 
pearances at regular, and, seemingly, at 
equidistant periods. Now, by being able 
to repeat those lengtlis or measures of time, 
as often as we wall, we can imagine dui a- 
tion, where nothing really endures or' ex- 
ists; and thus we imagine to morrow next 
year, &c. Some of the latter school ’philo- 
sophers define time to be the duration of a 
thing, whose existence is neither witliont 
beginning nor end: by which time is dis- 
tinguished from eternity. Time is distin- 
guished into absolute and relative. Abso- 
lute time, is time con.sidered in itself, and 
without any relation to bodies, or their mo- 
tions. This flow sequally, i. e. never pro- 
ceeds faster or slower, but glides on in a 
constant, equable tenor. Relative time, is 
the sensible measure of any duration, by 
means of motion. For, since that equ’able 
flux of time does not affect our senses, nor 
is any way immediately cognizable thereby, 
there is a necessity for calling in the help 
of some nearly equable motion to a sens ble 
measure, whereby we may determine its 
quantity by the correspondency of the parts 
of this with those of that. Hence, as we 
judge those times to be equal which pass 
while a moving body, proceeding with an 
equable velocity, passes over equal spaces - 
so we judge those times to be equal, which 
flow while the sun, moon, and other lumina- 
ries, perform their revolutions, which, to 
our senses, are equal. But since the flux of 
time cannot be accelerated, nor retarded, 
whereas all bodies . move sometimes faster 
and sometimes slower, and there is, per- 
