three inches, when the aggregate yet the aggregate increase was a of fifteen unwashed beeches was not full fifteen inches and fixtenths, or not one inch and half a tenth to each tree; yet most of of thefe trees grew on better land than that which was washed. But I apprehend the whole of the extraordinary increase in the two laft experiments fhould not be attributed to washing; for in the autumn of 1778 I had greafy pondmud fpread round fome favourite trees, as far as I fuppofed their roots extended; and although fome trees did not fhow to have received any benefit from the mud, yet others did; that is, an oak increafed half an inch, and a beech three-tenths above their ordinary growth. Now though the beech gained but three-tenths, yet, perhaps, that may not be enough to allow for the mud; for the fummer of 1779 was the most ungenial to the growth of trees of any fince I have measured them; fome not gaining half their ordinary growth, and the aggregate increale of all the unwashed and unmudded trees that I meafured (ninety-three in number of various kinds) was in 1779 but fix feet five inches and feven-tenths, or feventy-feven inches and feven-tenths, which gives but eight-tenths and about one-third to each tree; when in 1778 (a very dry fummer in Norfolk) they increased leven feet and nine-tenths, or near eighty-five inches, which gives above ninetenths to each tree: and this fummer of 1780, being alfo very dry, bove half an inch more than in 1778. But the best increase of thefe three years is low, as there are but twenty of the ninety-three trees that were not planted by me, and greater increase is reafonably expected in young than old trees; yet I have an oak, now two hun dred years old * (1780) which is fixteen feet and five inches in circumference, or one hundred and ninety-feven inches in two hundred years. But this oak cannot properly be called old. The annual increafe of very old trees is hardly meafurable with a ftring, as the flighteft change of the air will affect the ftring more than a year's growth. The largest trees that I have measured are fo far from me, that I have had no opportunity of meafuring them a fecond time, except the oak near the honourable Mr. Legge's Lodge in Holt Foreft, which does not fhew to be hollow. In 1759 I found it was, at feven feet (for a large fwelling rendered it unfair to meafure at five or fix feet) a trifle above thirty-four feet in circumference; and in 1778 I found it had not increased above half an inch in nineteen years. This more entire remain of longevity merits fome regard from the lovers of trees, as well as the hollow oak at Cowthorpe in Yorkshire, which Dr. Hunter gives an account of in his edition of Evelyn's Silva, and calls it forty-eight feet round at three feet. I did not measure it fo low; but in 1768 I found it, at I cannot mistake in the age of this oak, as I have the deed between my anceftor Robert Martham and the copyhold tenants of his manor of Stratton, dated May 29, 1580, upon his then inclofing fome of his walte; and the abuttal is clear. four four feet, forty feet and fix inch- the nourishment drawn from the s; and at five feet, thirty-fix feet and fix inches; and at fix feet, thirty-two feet and one inch. Now, although this oak is larger near the earth than that in Hampfhire, yet it diminishes much more fuddenly in girt, viz. eight feet and five inches in two feet of height (I reckon by my own meafures, as I took pains to be exact). Suppofe the diminution continues about this rate (for I did not meafure fo high) then at feven feet, it will be about twenty-eight in circumference, and the bottom fourteen feet contain fix hundred and ighty-fix feet round, or buyers meature, or feventeen ton and fix feet; and fourteen feet length of the Hampfhire oak is one thoufand and feven feet, or twenty-five ton and feven feet, that is, three hundred and twenty-one feet more than the Yorkshire oak, though that is fuppofed by many people the greateft oak in England. I am unwilling to conclude this account of wafhing the ftems of trees without obferving, that all the ingredients of vegetation u nited, which are received from the roots, ftem, branches, and leaves of a mofly and dirty tree, do not produce half the increase that another gains whofe ftem is clean to the head only, and that not ten feet in height. Is it not clear that this greater fhare of nourishment cannot come from rain? for the dirty ftem will retain the moifture Longer than when clean; and roots, and imbibed by the branches and leaves, maft be the fame to both trees. Then must not the great fhare of vegetative ingredients be conveyed in dew? May not the mofs and dirt absorb the fineft parts of the dew? and may they not act as a kind of fkreen, and deprive the tree of that fhare of air and fun which it requires? To develope this myfterious operation of nature would be an honour to the moft ingenious, and the plain fact may afford pleasure to the owners of young trees; for if their growth may be increafed by cleaning their ftems once in five or fix years (and perhaps they will not require it fo often) if the increafe is but half an inch yearly above the ordinary growth,, it will greatly overpay for the trouble, befides the pleafure of feeing the tree more flourithing. Although the extra increafe of my first washed beech was but four-tenths of an inch, the fecond was nine-tenths and a half, and the third near two inches ; fo the aggregate extra increase is above one inch and one-tenth yearly; and the increafe of the oak is eight-tenths. But calling it only half an inch, then fix years will produce above five cubic feet of timber, as the oak is eight feet round, and above twenty feet long, and fixpence will pay for the wafhing; fo there remains nine hillings and fixpence clear gain in fix years. Stratton, ANTI ANTIQUITIES. Some Account of Lichfield, and its Cathedral. Extracted from Pennant's Journey from Cheffer to London. L ICHFIELD is a place of Saxon origin, and owes its rife to Ceadda, or Chad, the great faint of Mercia. I omit the legend of the thousand Chriftians, difciples of St. Amphibolus, that were martyred here under Dioclefian; or the three kings flain at this place in battle, as fculptured over the town-hall. I take up its hiftory about the year 656, when Ofway, king of the country, eftablifhed a bishopric here, and made Dwina, or Dinma, the first prelate. To him fucceeded Cellach and Trumber&t; and on his demife, the famous Ceadda. This pious nan at first led an eremitical life, in a cell, at the place on which now ftands the church of his name, and fupported himself by the milk of a white hind. In this place he was difcovered by Rufine, the fon of Wolphere, who was privately inftructed by him till the time of his martyrdom, before recited. Remorfe and confequential converfion feized the Pagan prince. As fome fpecies of expiation, he preferred the He apoftle to the vacant fee. built himself a fmall houfe near the church, and, with seven or eight of his brethren, during the interval of preaching, read and prayed in private. On the approach of his death, flights of angels fang hymns over his cell. Miracles at his death confirmed the holiness of his life. A lunatic, that by accident escaped from his keepers, lay a night on it, and in the morning was found restored to his fenfes. The very earth taken out of it, was an infallible remedy for all diforders incident to man or beaft *. Ceadda was of course canonized; a flirine was erected in honour of him; great was the concourfe of devotees : the place increafed and flourifhed. The history of our cathedrals is, in its beginning, but the history of fuperftition, mixed with fome truth and abundance of legend: humiliating proof of the weakness of the human mind! yet all the fine arts of paft times, and all the magnificent works we now fo juftly admire, are owing to a fpecies of piety that every lover of the elegance of architecture must rejoice to have existed. Bede Hift. lib. iv. c. 3. We We are told, that in the days of Jaruman, about the year 666, the cathedral was founded. I fhall not trouble the reader with a dry lift of prelates, but only mention thofe diftinguifhed by fome remarkable event that befel the fee during their days. In those of Winifrid, fucceffor to St. Chad, in 674, Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury,thought fit to divide the bishopric into two, and to establish the other at Sidnacefter, in Lincolnshire, the prefent Stow. Winfrid difapproving this defalcation, was deprived for contumacy. The diocefe might well bear dividing; for at that time it contained the whole kingdom of Mercia. At prefent it comprehends all Staffordshire,except Brome and Clent, which belong to Worcestershire; the larger part of Warwickshire; and about half Shropshire. In the time of Bishop Adulf, Offa, King of the Mercians, procured liberty from the Pope of erecting the fee into an archbifhopric, in 786, and to affign him for fuffragans Winchefter, Hereford,Lagecefter (Leicester) Helmham, and Dunwick. This honour died with Adulf. A bishop Peter, in 1067, the year fucceeding to the conqueft, removed the fee to St. John's, in Chefter, where he died and was interred in 1085. His fucceffor, Robert de Limefey, fmitten with the love of the gold and filver with which the pious Earl Leofric had covered the walls of his new convent at Coventry, in 1095 removed the fee to that city, and at once scraped from a fingle beam that fupported a fhrine, 500 marks worth of filver †. I now speak of a prelate of a different temper; to whofe munificence both the church and city were highly indebted. Roger de Clinton, confecrated in 1129, took down the ancient Mercian cathedral. We are not informed of the dimenfions or nature of the building, any more than we are of that built by this bifhop. It must have been, according to the reigning mode of the times, of the fpecies of architecture ufually called Saxon, with maffy pillars and round arches. There is not at prefent the leaft relique of this But I am unacquainted ftyle. with the accident, or calamity, which deftroyed the labours of this pious prelate; who took up the crofs, and died at Antioch, on a pilgrimage to the holy fepul chre. After a fucceffion of twelve prelates, Walter de Langton, treafurer of England, was confecrated bishop of this fee, in 1296. He was highly favoured by Edward I. His profperity was interrupted by the refentment of the prince, who meanly revenged on the bishop a fhort imprisonment he had fuffered in the time of his father, for riotously deftroying his deer. After a profecution and confinement of above two years, he emerged from all his difficulties, and refumed his paftoral charge in a manner that did him great honour. He be confidered as may the third architect of this cathe • Wharton's Ang. Sacr. i. 433- dral; drał; to whom we are indebted by three fieges. The fituation_of for the prefent clegant pile. He the place on an eminence, furlaid the foundation of Our Lady's rounded by water and by deep Chapel; an edifice of uncommon ditches, and fortified with walls beauty, finifhed after his death and baftions, rendered it unwith money left for that purpose. happily a proper place for a garHe built the cloyfters, and ex- rifon. pended 20001. upon a fhrine for St. Chad. He beftowed on the choir feveral rich veftments, a chalice, and two cups of beaten gold, to the value of 2001. To the vicar's choral he gave a standing cup, and an annual penfion of 201, and procured for them and the canons great immunities: in particular, there was an order from the king to the juftices of Staffordthire, that, without trial, they should hang upon the next gallows divers perfons that by force kept their lands from them. This prelate alfo furrounded the clofe with a wall and ditch, made the great gate at the weft end, and the poftern at the fouth. He gave his own palace, at the weft end of the clofe, to the vicars choral, and built a new one for himfelf at the east end. He partly built, or enlarged, the cattle at Ecclefhall, and the manors of Heywood and Shugborow, and the palace in the Strand. He finifhed his ufeful life in Nov. 1321, and was buried in the chapel of his own founding. The cathedral continued in the ftate it was left by Bifhop Langton, till the time of the diffolution, when the rich fhrine of St. Chad, and other objects of fimilar devotion, fell a prey to the rapacity of the prince. The building cortinued in its priftine beauty till the unhappy wars of the laft century, when it fuffered greatly In 1613, it was poffeffed by the royalifts of the county, under the Earl of Chesterfield; when it underwent, the attack rendered memorable by the death of Lord Brook, commander of the parliamentary forces. His lordfhip, in reconnoitring the cathedral, in a wooden porch in Dams-ftreet, was fhot in the eye by a mufketball, on March 24, 1643. This happened to be the festival of St. Chad, the patron of the church. The cavaliers attributed the direction of the fatal bullet to the influence of the faint, in refentment of the facrileges this nobleman was committing on his cathedral. What share the faint had in this affair, I will not pretend to say: but the mufket was aimed, and the trigger. drawn, by a neighbouring gentleman pofted in the leads, known by the name of dumb Dyot. The lofs of Lord Brook gave very fhort refpite to the garrifon; which was taken almoft immediately after by Sir John Gell. In April, in the fame year, it was attacked by Prince Rupert, At this time it was commanded by Col. Roufwell; a steady governor over an enthufiaflic garrifon. He defended the place with vaft refolution. A breach was made by the blowing up of a mine. The attack was made with great bravery, but great loss. At length the garrifon gave up, on 3 |