6 N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y
bridge at the Joy, near Hampton Court, being much decayed, fome
trees were wanted for the repairs that were fifty feet long without
bough, and would meafure twelve inches diameter at the little
end. Twenty fuch trees did a purveyor find in this little wood,
with this advantage, that many of them anfwered the defcrip-.
tion at fixty feet. Thefe trees were fold for twenty pounds
apiece.
In the centre of this grove there flood an oak, which, though
fhapely and tall on the whole, bulged out into a large excrefcence
about the middle of the Item. On this a pair of ravens had
fixed their refidence for fuch a feries of years, that the oak was
diflinguifhed by the title of The Raven-tree. Many were the attempts
of the neighbouring youths to get at this eyry: the difficulty
whetted their inclinations, and each was ambitious of furmounting
the arduous talk. But, when they arrived at the fwelling,
it jutted out fo in their way, and was fo far beyond their grafp,
that the moll daring lads were awed, and acknowledged the undertaking
to be too hazardous, So the ravens built on, neft upon
neft, in perfeft fecurity, till the fatal day arrived in which the
wood was to be levelled. It was in the month of February, when
thofe birds ufually fit. The faw was applied to the butt, the
wedges were inferted into the opening, the woods echoed to the
heavy blows of the beetle or mallet, the tree nodded to it’s fall;
but ftill the dam fat on. Atlaft, when it gave way, the bird was
flung from her neft; and, though her parental affection deferved
a better fate, was whipped down by the twigs, which brought
her dead to the ground.
L E T T E R