I beg no pardon for the application, but deplore my no better use of it, and that whilst I am thus upon the wing, I must now descend so soon again.
Of all the foresters, this preserves it self best from the bruttings of deer, and therefore to be kindly entertain’d in parks: But the reason why with us, we rarely find them ample and spreading, is, that our husbandman suffers too large and grown a lop, before he cuts them off, which leaves such ghastly wounds, as often proves exitial to the tree, or causes it to grow deform’d and hollow, and of little worth but for the fire; whereas, were they oftener taken off, when the lops were younger, though they did not furnish so great wood, yet the continuance and flourishing of the tree, would more than recompence it. For this cause,
3. They very frequently plant a clump of these trees before the entries of most of the great towns in Germany, to which they apply timber-frames for convenience, and the people to sit and solace in. _Scamozzi_ the architect, says, that in his time he found one whose branches extended seventy foot in breadth; this was at Vuimfen near the Necker, belonging to the Duke of Wirtemberg: But that which I find planted before the gates of Strasburgh, is a _platanus_, and a lime-tree growing hard by one another, in which is erected a _Pergolo_ eight foot from the ground, of fifty foot wide, having ten arches of twelve foot height, all shaded with their foliage; and there is besides this, an over-grown oak, which has an arbour in it of sixty foot diameter: Hear we _Rapinus_ describe the use of the horn-beam for these and other elegancies.
In walks the horn-beam stands, or in a maze Through thousand self-entangling labyrinths strays: So clasp the branches lopp’d on either side, As though an alley did two walls divide: This beauty found, order did next adorn The boughs into a thousand figures shorn, Which pleasing objects weariness betray’d, Your feet into a wilderness convey’d. Nor better leaf on twining arbor spread, Against the scorching sun to shield your head.{ 86:1}
In tractus longos facilis tibi carpinus ibit, Mille per errores, indeprehensosque recessus, Et molles tendens secto ceu pariete ramos, Præbebit viridem diverso è margine scenam. Primus honos illi quondam, post additus ordo est, Attonsæque comæ, & formis quæsita voluptas Innumeris, furtoque viæ, obliquoque recessu: In tractus acta est longos & opaca vireta. Quinetiam egregiæ tendens umbracula frondis Temperat ardentes ramis ingentibus æstus.