1affirmed that the Cypreſs never ſuffers either
by Worms or Age, and never ſplits of its own
accord. For this Reaſon Plato was of Opinion,
that the publick Laws and Statutes ſhould be
carved in ſacred Tables of Cypreſs, believing
they would be more laſting than Tables of
Braſs. This Topick naturally leads me to give
an Account of what I myſelf remember to
have read and obſerv'd of this Wood. It is re
lated that the Gates of the Temple of Diana,
at Epheſus, being of Cypreſs, laſted four hun
dred Years, and preſerved their Beauty in ſuch
a Manner that they always ſeemed to be new.
In the Church of St. Peter at Rome, upon the
repairing of the Gates by Pope Eugenius, I
found, that where they had not been injured
by the Violence of the Enemy in ſtripping a
way the Silver with which they were formerly
covered, they had continued whole and ſound
above five hundred and fifty Years; for if we
examing the Annals of the Roman Pontiffs, ſo
long it is from the Time of Hadrian the Third,
who ſet them up, to Eugene the Fourth. There
fore, though the Fir is very much commended
for making Rafters, yet the Cypreſs is prefer
red before it, perhaps only upon this one Ac
count, namely, that it is more laſting; but
then it is heavier than the Fir. The Pine and
Pitch Trees alſo are valued, for the Pine is
ſuppoſed to have the ſame Quality as the Fir,
of riſing againſt the Weight that is laid upon
it: But between the Fir and the Pine there is
this Difference, among others, that the Firs is
leſs injured by Worms, becauſe the Pine is of a
ſweeter Juice than the Fir. I do not know
any Wood that is to be preferred to the Larch,
or Turpentine Tree, which, within my Obſer
vation, has ſupported Buildings perfectly ſtrong,
and to a very great Age, in many Places, and
particularly in thoſe very ancient Structures in
the Market-place at Venice, and indeed this one
Tree is reckoned to be furniſhed with the Con
veniences of all the Reſt; it is nervous, tena
cious of its Strength, unmoveable in Storms,
not moleſted with Worms; and it is an anci
ent Opinion, that againſt the Injuries of Fire
it remains invincible, and in a Manner unhurt,
inſomuch that they adviſe us, on whatever Side
we are apprehenſive of Fire, to place Beams of
Larch by Way of Security. It is true I have
ſeen it take Fire and burn, but yet in ſuch a
Manner that it ſeemed to diſdain the Flames,
and to threaten to drive them away. It has
indeed one Defect, which is, that in Sea-wa
ter it is very apt to breed Worms. For Beams
the Oak and Olive are accounted improper,
becauſe of their Heavineſs, and that they give
Way beneath the Weight that is laid upon
them, and are apt to warp even of themſelves;
beſides, all Trees that are more inclinable to
break into Shivers than to ſplit, are unfit for
Beams; ſuch are the Olive, the Fig, the Lin
den, the Sallow, and the like. It is a ſurpriz
ing Property which they relate of the Palm
Tree, that it riſes againſt the Weight that is
laid upon it, and bends upwards in ſpite of all
Reſiſtance. For Beams and Coverings ex
poſed to the open Air, the Juniper is greatly
commended; and Pliny ſays it has the ſame
Properties as the Cedar, but is ſounder. The
Olive too is reckoned extreamly durable, and
the Box is eſteemed as one of the Beſt of all.
Nor is the Cheſnut, though apt to cleave and
ſplit, rejected for Works to the open Air. But
the wild Olive they particularly eſteem ſor the
ſame Reaſon as the Cypreſs, becauſe it never
breeds Worms, which is the Advantage of all
Trees that have oily and gummy Juices, eſpe
cially if thoſe Juices are bitter. The Worm
never enters into ſuch Trees, and it is certain
they exclude all Moiſture from without. Con
trary to theſe are ſuppoſed to be all Woods
that have Juices of a ſweet Taſte, and which
eaſily take Fire; out of which, nevertheleſs,
they except the ſweet as well as the wild Olive.
Vitruvius ſays, that the Holm Oak and Beech
are very weak in their Nature againſt Storms,
and do not endure to a great Age. Pliny ſays,
that the Maſt-holm ſoon rots. But the Fir,
and particularly that which grows in the Alps,
for Uſes within Doors, as for Bedſteads, Ta
bles, Doors, Benches, and the like, is excel
lent; becauſe it is, in its Nature, very dry, and
very tenacious of the Glue. The Pitch-Tree
and Cypreſs alſo are very good for ſuch Uſes;
the Beech for other Service is too brittle, but
does mighty well for Coffers and Beds, and
will ſaw into extreme thin Planks, as will like
wiſe the Scarlet-Oak. The Cheſnut, on the
Contrary, the Elm, and the Aſh are reckoned
very unfit for Planks, becauſe they eaſily ſplit,
and though they ſplit ſlowly, they are very in
clinable to it; though elſe the Aſh is account
ed very obedient in all Manner of Works. But
I am ſurprized the Ancients have not celebra
ted the Nut Tree; which, as Experience ſhews
us, is extremely tractable, and good for moſt
Uſes, and eſpecially for Boards or Planks,
They commend the Mulberry-Tree, both for
its Durableneſs, and becauſe by Length of
by Worms or Age, and never ſplits of its own
accord. For this Reaſon Plato was of Opinion,
that the publick Laws and Statutes ſhould be
carved in ſacred Tables of Cypreſs, believing
they would be more laſting than Tables of
Braſs. This Topick naturally leads me to give
an Account of what I myſelf remember to
have read and obſerv'd of this Wood. It is re
lated that the Gates of the Temple of Diana,
at Epheſus, being of Cypreſs, laſted four hun
dred Years, and preſerved their Beauty in ſuch
a Manner that they always ſeemed to be new.
In the Church of St. Peter at Rome, upon the
repairing of the Gates by Pope Eugenius, I
found, that where they had not been injured
by the Violence of the Enemy in ſtripping a
way the Silver with which they were formerly
covered, they had continued whole and ſound
above five hundred and fifty Years; for if we
examing the Annals of the Roman Pontiffs, ſo
long it is from the Time of Hadrian the Third,
who ſet them up, to Eugene the Fourth. There
fore, though the Fir is very much commended
for making Rafters, yet the Cypreſs is prefer
red before it, perhaps only upon this one Ac
count, namely, that it is more laſting; but
then it is heavier than the Fir. The Pine and
Pitch Trees alſo are valued, for the Pine is
ſuppoſed to have the ſame Quality as the Fir,
of riſing againſt the Weight that is laid upon
it: But between the Fir and the Pine there is
this Difference, among others, that the Firs is
leſs injured by Worms, becauſe the Pine is of a
ſweeter Juice than the Fir. I do not know
any Wood that is to be preferred to the Larch,
or Turpentine Tree, which, within my Obſer
vation, has ſupported Buildings perfectly ſtrong,
and to a very great Age, in many Places, and
particularly in thoſe very ancient Structures in
the Market-place at Venice, and indeed this one
Tree is reckoned to be furniſhed with the Con
veniences of all the Reſt; it is nervous, tena
cious of its Strength, unmoveable in Storms,
not moleſted with Worms; and it is an anci
ent Opinion, that againſt the Injuries of Fire
it remains invincible, and in a Manner unhurt,
inſomuch that they adviſe us, on whatever Side
we are apprehenſive of Fire, to place Beams of
Larch by Way of Security. It is true I have
ſeen it take Fire and burn, but yet in ſuch a
Manner that it ſeemed to diſdain the Flames,
and to threaten to drive them away. It has
indeed one Defect, which is, that in Sea-wa
ter it is very apt to breed Worms. For Beams
the Oak and Olive are accounted improper,
becauſe of their Heavineſs, and that they give
Way beneath the Weight that is laid upon
them, and are apt to warp even of themſelves;
beſides, all Trees that are more inclinable to
break into Shivers than to ſplit, are unfit for
Beams; ſuch are the Olive, the Fig, the Lin
den, the Sallow, and the like. It is a ſurpriz
ing Property which they relate of the Palm
Tree, that it riſes againſt the Weight that is
laid upon it, and bends upwards in ſpite of all
Reſiſtance. For Beams and Coverings ex
poſed to the open Air, the Juniper is greatly
commended; and Pliny ſays it has the ſame
Properties as the Cedar, but is ſounder. The
Olive too is reckoned extreamly durable, and
the Box is eſteemed as one of the Beſt of all.
Nor is the Cheſnut, though apt to cleave and
ſplit, rejected for Works to the open Air. But
the wild Olive they particularly eſteem ſor the
ſame Reaſon as the Cypreſs, becauſe it never
breeds Worms, which is the Advantage of all
Trees that have oily and gummy Juices, eſpe
cially if thoſe Juices are bitter. The Worm
never enters into ſuch Trees, and it is certain
they exclude all Moiſture from without. Con
trary to theſe are ſuppoſed to be all Woods
that have Juices of a ſweet Taſte, and which
eaſily take Fire; out of which, nevertheleſs,
they except the ſweet as well as the wild Olive.
Vitruvius ſays, that the Holm Oak and Beech
are very weak in their Nature againſt Storms,
and do not endure to a great Age. Pliny ſays,
that the Maſt-holm ſoon rots. But the Fir,
and particularly that which grows in the Alps,
for Uſes within Doors, as for Bedſteads, Ta
bles, Doors, Benches, and the like, is excel
lent; becauſe it is, in its Nature, very dry, and
very tenacious of the Glue. The Pitch-Tree
and Cypreſs alſo are very good for ſuch Uſes;
the Beech for other Service is too brittle, but
does mighty well for Coffers and Beds, and
will ſaw into extreme thin Planks, as will like
wiſe the Scarlet-Oak. The Cheſnut, on the
Contrary, the Elm, and the Aſh are reckoned
very unfit for Planks, becauſe they eaſily ſplit,
and though they ſplit ſlowly, they are very in
clinable to it; though elſe the Aſh is account
ed very obedient in all Manner of Works. But
I am ſurprized the Ancients have not celebra
ted the Nut Tree; which, as Experience ſhews
us, is extremely tractable, and good for moſt
Uſes, and eſpecially for Boards or Planks,
They commend the Mulberry-Tree, both for
its Durableneſs, and becauſe by Length of
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