The Dimension of the Hollow Tree of Hampsted.
ALto Deo, hospItI & aMICo.
For the LorD anD ChrIstIan frIenDs.
ALto DoMIno aC hospItI.
Deo ter OptIMo aC hospItI Laeto.
The VVelcome.
Verses on the DOOR.
CIvill people, you welcome be,
That come to view this Hollow Tree.
Debaucht Drunkard, Ranting Whore,
Come no such within this Dore:
Wanton Boyes and ranting Rigs,
Cut no Bowes, break no Sprigs.
The Salutation.
WElcome, before! welcome all you that follow!
Our heart is sound, although our Tree be hollow.
Yet know nor age, nor weaknesse did distresse
Its willing bulk into this hollownesse:
But a desire markt out for noble ends,
To finde more room to entertain fast friends,
And in the compasse of it self to try
Lawes of true Mirth, and Hospitality.
In such a Hollow, Musick dwels; thus love
Laies forth it self, yet ne're doth banckrupt prove.
And having read the riddle doth impart,
Things sometimes hollow have the soundest heart.
Of the height and hollownesse of the great Elme at Hampsted.
WHat shall I call thee who so great and high,
Present'st thy self unto my wondring eye?
Thou Travellers fence, and guide, the Enterlude
O'th ranting stormes, and gyant of the wood!
How in thy summers robes doest thou appear,
The Sylvans joy, and honour of the year?
How the bold windes play with thy lofty locks!
How doest thou scorn, and make'st them but thy mocks,
Deaf to their fighs, and whispers! Let me hear
(So please thy Wooden Majesty) draw neer
To thy first door, and looking up discry
Where Hall, where Parlor, how thy Chambers lye.
Essex Broad-Oake (which twenty miles we see
And more) it but a twig compar'd to thee;
So vast a compasse doth thy might command,
That a whole Grove within thy self might stand,
And spread and flourish, and may fruitfull adde
To thee a growing progeny: which had
No doubt been so, but that thou thought'st not good
To leave out Men, to entertain a Wood.
Art here, and Order do in one ingage
To make this Round compleat, their Equipage
Extols thy greatnesse, in lesse room I finde
With all his trusty Knights King Arthur din'd.
As yet more high upon the stairs I rise,
What are these windowes which enrich mine eyes?
Happy you lights, whose aire so pure and thin
The morning courts to let the Sun come in,
And drink it, to refresh his heavie head
Sick with the vapours of moist Thetis Bed;
For which (not staying) he withall his wealth,
Gilds this blest place, and thanks it for his health.
Now is my progresse finish'd, to the height
Of all thy Turret I am come, and straight
Here on the worlds Redeemer think, when he
(Set on the Temples Pinnacle) did see
All Kingdomes of the earth at once, so stand
The Towns now subject to my eyes command,
Which to repeat the Muse forbears, for why?
The Towns would often give the verse the lye,
Whose names as Churlish as themselves are known,
And will endure no Numbers but their own.
Six neighbouring Counties do on tip-toe all
Gaze on thy mighty limbs, and seem to call
Unto thy patient Greatnesse, when to wait
To pay thee homage for thy nobler height,
But only Harrow on the Hill plaies Rex,
And will have none more high in Middlesex.
And yonder the familiar Thames (the more
To grace thy prospect) rowles along thē shore
Her Crystall treasures, and doth seem to me
Softly to murmur 'cause so farre from thee.
See how the Ships in numerous array.
Dance on her waves, and their proud wings display
More white then Snow, as now the Thames did carry
A moving wood ith' midst of January.
Not all Maeanders Swans, nor those on Po,
Joyn'd with her own, make half so fair a shew:
Nor all the beauteous Ladies that have been
These twice three summers on thy Turrets seen.
But what amongst these various objects, what
Is that which so much takes my eyes? 'tis not
Thy leavie Antlets, nor thy shoulders, high,
Though one would brush, and th'other bore the skie;
Nor thy five hundred Armes by which we see
Briareus only was a type of thee,
Armes which vain winds doe twist in every storme
And fain would put them in a Kembow forme.
Tis not thy ample body, though it be
So full of plasure, and humanitie,
That as to the quick a Palace would be found,
So to the dead their Coffins, and surround
Their loose and crumbling dusts. Tis not thy feet,
To cover which so many Acres meet:
Tis not those stately structures where the Court
Had late their mansions, when our Kings would spors;
Of whom depriv'd they mourn, and desolate
Like Widowes look on their forlorne estate.
Tis not smooth Richmonds streames, nor Actons Mill,
Nor Windsors Castle, nor yet Shooters hill.
Nor groves nor plaines which further off do stand,
Like Landskips pourtraid by some happy hand:
But a swift view which most delightfull showes,
And doth them all, and all at once inclose.
J [...]ly 24. 1653.
Rob. Codrington.
- 1. The Bottom aboue ground in Compass is—28. foote
- 2. The Breadth of the doore is—2. foote
- 3. The Compass of the ztirret on the Top is—34. foote
- 4. The Doore in Height to goe in is—6 foot. 2. Inches
- 8. The Height to the Turret is—33. foote
- 11. The Lights into the Tree is—. 16
- 18. The Stepps to goe vp is—42
- 19. The Seat aboue the Stepps,
- Six may Sitt on, and round about roome for foureteene more
- All the way you goe vp within the Hollow Tree.
Vpon Hampsted Elme.
UPon the leaves of this fair spreading Tree
Some Blisters full of liquor you may see;
Wherein great store of Worms do breed,
Which from that fruitfull juice proceed:
But if that Liquor doth remain compact
In those thin Bladders, then it doth contract
Great hardnesse, by the Suns influx,
About the end of Summers looks.
These Blisters represent Man's native Heart,
The Liquor sheweth its depraved part;
From which great Swarmes of sins doe spring,
Which do defile his sacred Thing:
But if that Spawn of all fins be restrain'd
Within the carnall heart, and so refrain'd
From breaking forth, the Heart growes hard
By its false Peace, and doth retard
Lost Man his rising from the Death of Sin,
Intill the Sun of Righteousnesse rise in
The heart of Man, with healing wings;
For which the praise of God he sings.
O LorD! o ChrIst! Keep Me In the rIght way!
To Die to sIn, anD DweLL In LIght for aye!
Upon Hampsted Elme.
ALthough the heart of this fair Tree be out,
Yet it doth spread its branches round about.
In Ulmum Hampstedensem.
Quamvis indigeat corde haec mirabilis ulmuc,
Extendit frondes circa tamen illa virenteis.
Decimo quarto Julii, 1653.
Rogerus Coleman.
Vpon Hampsted Elme.
AS in this Tree we go through darke to light,
So Saints ascend through death to heaven bright.
In Ulmum Hampstedensem.
Per tenebras Ʋlmi ad lucem nos vadimus almam,
Sic nos per mortem in Coelos ascendimus altos.
Decimo quarto Julii, 1653.
Johannes Lee.
Vpon Hampsted Elme. Psalme 52. 13. 14.
GOds Tree and this do differ in one thing,
That shall not, this will cease fruit forth to bring.
In Ulmum Hampstedensem.
Sunt sibi dissimiles haec Ʋlmus et arbor Iovae,
Haec profert dulces fructus, non illa senescens.
Decimo quarto Julii, 1653.
Moses Browne.
In Ulmum Hampstedensem.
HEre all may see this stately Elme to bear
An Apple strange, which it brings ev'ry year.
Hie omnes Ʋlmum videant producere priscam
Insolitum malum, quod profert omnibus annis.
Decimo quarto Julit, 1653.
T. W.
Verses on the Top of the TREE in the TVRRET.
NOw you are ascended up on high,
Think here upon Eternity.
Take heed what you do morn or ev'n,
The Son will see't and tel't in Heaven:
What ever you think, or speak, or say,
You answer must at Judgement-Day.
The Elme it self, to some of the new Religion that would make a Preachment under his reverend shade.
HOw numerous and extravagant are these
Thus buz about me like a swarm of Bees?
Remove your station friends, I'me not so fickle,
To cast a shade for such a Conventicle:
You talke to me of Slaney, How, and Cox,
Why do you vex an Elm that's Orthodox?
To sort with your complexions, I professe
There are no Elmes in all my Diocesse;
If only such are for your purpose, know,
You must as farre as unto Bordeaux go.
Rob. Codrington.
ME thinks when I this Tree espie,
it may remember me,
How those that trust in God most just,
advanced ones shall be.
If I shall put here to my foot,
this Tree for to ascend,
Lord me aspire with zeal's hot fire,
to think upon my End.
T. Tranter.
Amico meo fidelissimo Domino Auriga.
WElcome most learned Waggoner, welcome to me,
That bring'st such loading, to this hollow Tree;
What is thy carriage? Learning, Vertue, Wit.
Here then unlade, this Elme for thee is fit.
This is the Tree, on which such fruit doth spring,
Which made the Muses dance, to laugh and sing:
Such carriage, thou hast brought to this my Arbor,
As never richer Shippe came loaden into Harbor.
Twelve virtuous Plants, this exile tutor'd so
Upon this Tree, the like let England show.
Drive on see the youngest Branch so flourish,
That Aire, and Hill, and Well, and Schoole may cherish:
And when thy wheels do off thy Wagon go,
In spite of death, thy Plants will fairly grow;
And though by him thou wrapped art in Lead,
Yet Time in spight of Death thy seeds will spread.
July 22. 1653.
Scintilla.
The Close.
BLush England, blush, a shame it is to see
An Exile here, to teach civility,
More then some Natives, and for pious care
To train up youth, his pains he doth not spare;
For he on top of all (this Tree) above the shade,
His Scholars taught, where they such Verses made
As spread his honour, and do blaze the fame
Of Hampsted Schoole, Ile trumpet up the same:
Johannes A Commenius thy Countryman so rare,
For Arts and Parts thou mayst with him compare.
Exile drive on thy Wagon, here take rest,
And all thy carriage be for ever blest.
July 22. 1653.
Sci—Mic—
In eandem Ulmum.
HIc est ante omnes alias mirabilis arbor,
Quam non Natura spectes, verum Arte cavatam;
Octo pedes & viginti stirps continet Vlmi;
Porta duos est lata pedes, ac alta pedes sex;
Alta pedes tres & triginta a culmine ad imum;
Haec constat gradibus quadraginta at (que) duobus;
Qui gradibus lucem prabent, sunt sedecim ocelli.
Angusta est porta, arcta via est, quae ducit in altum,
Non illi abssimilis, coeli quae tendit ad aevum.
Mat. 7. 14.
Viginti capiunt homines in vertice sedes.
—Esto saCrata Deo MIrabILIs arbor!
Parvis arrideto. Micans Scintilla fit Ignis.