The Dimension of the Hollow Tree of Hampsted. ALto Deo, hospItI & aMICo. For the LorD anD ChrIstIan friend's. ALto DoMIno aC hospItI. Deo ter OptIMo aC hospItI Laeto. The welcome. Verses on the DOOR. Civil people, you welcome be, That come to view this Hollow Tree. Debauched Drunkard, Ranting Whore, Come no such within this door: Wanton boys and ranting Rigs, Cut no bows, 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 weakness did distress Its willing bulk into this hollowness: But a desire marked out for noble ends, To find more room to entertain fast friends, And in the compass of itself to try Laws of true Mirth, and Hospitality. In such a Hollow, music dwells; thus love Lays forth itself, yet ne'er doth bankrupt prove. And having read the riddle doth impart, Things sometimes hollow have the soundest heart. Of the height and hollowness of the great elm at Hampsted. WHat shall I call thee who so great and high, Presentest thyself unto my wondering eye? Thou Travellers fence, and guide, the interlude O'th' ranting storms, and giant of the wood! How in thy summer's robes dost thou appear, The Sylvans joy, and honour of the year? How the bold winds play with thy lofty locks! How dost thou scorn, and makeest them but thy mocks, Deaf to their sighs, and whispers! Let me hear (So please thy Wooden Majesty) draw near To thy first door, and looking up descry Where Hall, where parlour, how thy Chambers lie. Essex broad-oak (which twenty miles we see And more) it but a twig compared to thee; So vast a compass doth thy might command, That a whole Grove within thyself might stand, And spread and flourish, and may fruitful add 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 engage To make this Round complete, their Equipage Extols thy greatness, in less room I find With all his trusty knight's King Arthur dined. As yet more high upon the stairs I rise, What are these windows which every mine eyes? Happy you lights, whose air so pure and thin The morning courts to let the Sun come in, And drink it, to refresh his heavy head Sick with the vapours of moist Thetis Bed; For which (not staying) he withal his wealth, Gilds this blessed place, and thanks it for his health. Now is my progress finished, to the height Of all thy Turret I am come, and straight Here on the world's Redeemer think, when he (Set on the temple's Pinnacle) did see All kingdoms 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 lie, Whose names as Churlish as themselves are known, And will endure no Numbers but their own. Six neighbouring Counties do on tiptoe all Gaze on thy mighty limbs, and seem to call Unto thy patient greatness, when to wait To pay thee homage for thy nobler height, But only Harrow on the Hill plays Rex, And will have none more high in Middlesex. And yonder the familiar Thames (the more To grace thy prospect) rowles along them shore Her crystal treasures, and doth seem to me Softly to murmur 'cause so far from thee. See how the Ships in numerous array. Dance on her waves, and their proud wings display More white than Snow, as now the Thames did carry A moving wood i'th' midst of January. Not all Maeanders Swans, nor those on Po, Joined with her own, make half so fair a show: 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 leafy Antlets, nor thy shoulders, high, Though one would brush, and th'other bore the sky; Nor thy five hundred arms by which we see Briareus only was a type of thee, Arms which vain winds do twist in every storm And fain would put them in a Kembow form. 'tis not thy ample body, though it be So full of plasure, and humanity, 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 deprived they mourn, and desolate Like widows look on their forlorn estate. 'tis not smooth Richmond's streams, nor Acton's Mill, Nor Windsor's Castle, nor yet shooter's hill. Nor groves nor plains which further off do stand, Like landscapes portrayed by some happy hand: But a swift view which most delightful shows, And doth them all, and all at once enclose. J●ly 24. 1653. Rob. Codrington. 1. The Bottom above ground in Compass is— 28. foot 2. The Breadth of the door is— 2. foot 3. The Compass of the ztirret on the Top is— 34. foot 4. The door in Height to go in is— 6 foot. 2. Inches 8. The Height to the Turret is— 33. foot 11. The Lights into the Tree is—. 16 18. The steps to go up is— 42 19 The Seat above the steps, Six may sit on, and round about room for fourteen more All the way you go up within the Hollow Tree. Upon Hampsted Elme. UPon the leaves of this fair spreading Tree Some Blisters full of liquour you may see; Wherein great store of Worms do breed, Which from that fruitful juice proceed: But if that liquour doth remain compact In those thin Bladders, than it doth contract Great hardness, by the sun's influx, About the end of summer's looks. These Blisters represent mens' native Heart, The liquour showeth its depraved part; From which great swarms of sins do spring, Which do defile his sacred Thing: But if that Spawn of all fins be restrained Within the carnal heart, and so refrained From breaking forth, the Heart grows hard By its false Peace, and doth retard Lost Man his rising from the Death of Sin, Until the Sun of righteousness 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 sjn, 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. Upon Hampsted Elme. AS in this Tree we go through dark to light, So Saints ascend through death to heaven bright. In Ulmum Hampstedensem. Per tenebras Vlmi ad lucem nos vadimus almam, Sic nos per mortem in Coelos ascendimus altos. Decimo quarto Julii, 1653. Johannes Lee. Upon Hampsted Elme. Psalm 52. 13. 14. God's 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 Vlmus et arbor jovae, Haec profert dulces fructus, non illa senescens. Decimo quarto Julii, 1653. Moses Browne. In Ulmum Hampstedensem. HEre all may see this stately elm to bear An Apple strange, which it brings every year. Hie omnes Vlmum videant producere priscam Insolitum malum, quod profert omnibus annis. Decimo quarto Julit, 1653. T. W. Verses on the Top of the TREE in the turret. NOw you are ascended up on high, Think here upon Eternity. Take heed what you do morn or even, The Son will see't and tell't in Heaven: What ever you think, or speak, or say, You answer must at Judgement-Day. The elm itself, to some of the new Religion that would make a Preachment under his reverend shade. HOw numerous and extravagant are these Thus buzz about me like a swarm of Bees? Remove your station friends, I'm not so fickle, To cast a shade for such a Conventicle: You talk to me of Slaney, How, and Cox, Why do you vex an Elm that's Orthodox? To sort with your complexions, I profess There are no elms in all my diocese; If only such are for your purpose, know, You must as far as unto Bordeaux go. Rob. Codrington. ME thinks when I this Tree espy, 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 bringest such loading, to this hollow Tree; What is thy carriage? Learning, virtue, Wit. Here then unlade, this elm for thee is fit. This is the Tree, on which such fruit doth spring, Which made the muse's dance, to laugh and sing: Such carriage, thou hast brought to this my arbour, As never richer ship came loaden into harbour. Twelve virtuous Plants, this exile tutored so Upon this Tree, the like let England show. Drive on see the youngest Branch so flourish, That air, and Hill, and Well, and school 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 spite 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 than 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 school, I'll 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 blessed. 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 atque 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. LONDON, Printed by E. Cotes for M. S. at the Blue Bible in Green Arbour, and are to be given or sold on the Hollow Tree at Hampsted.