Tu sacros Phoebi tripodas, tu sidera sentis, Et casus aperis rerum praesaga futuros. Te juvat armorum strepitus, clangorque tubarum; Perque acies medias, saevique pericula belli, Accendis bellantûm animos; te Cynthius ipse, Te Musae, vatesque sacri optavère coronam: Ipsa suis virtus te spem proponit alumnis, Tantùm servatus valuit pudor, & bona fama. Rapinus. {313:3} _Daphnephagi_ were such as after eating the leaves of the bay, became inspir’d. CHAPTER VII. _Of the infirmities of trees, &c._ So many are the infirmities and sicknesses of trees, and indeed of the whole family of vegetables, that it were almost impossible to enumerate and make a just catalogue of them; and as difficult to such infallible cures and remedies as could be desired; the effects arising from so many, and such different causes: Whenever therefore our trees and plants fail and come short of the fruit and productions we expect of them, (if the fault be not in our want of care) it is certainly to be attributed to those infirmities, to which all elementary things are obnoxious, either from the nature of the things themselves, and in themselves, or from some outward injury, not only through their being unskilfully cultivated by men, and expos’d to hurtful beasts, but subject to be prey’d upon and ruin’d by the most minute and despicable insect, besides other casualties and accidents innumerable, according to the rustick rhyme, The calf, the wind-shoc and the knot, The canker, scab, scurf, sap and rot, affecting the several parts: These invade the roots; stony and rocky grounds, ivy, and all climbers, weeds, suckers, fern, wet, mice, moles, winds, &c. to these may be added siderations, pestiferous air, fogs, excessive heat, sulphurous and arsenic smoak, and vapours, and other plagues, tumours, distortions, lacrymations, _tophi_, gouts, carbuncles, ulcers, crudities, fungosities, gangreens, and an army more, whereof some are hardly discernable, yet enemies, which not foreseen, makes many a bargain of standing-wood (though seemingly fair) very costly ware: In a word, whatsoever is exitial to men, is so to trees; for the aversion of which, they had of old recourse to the _robigalia_ and other Gentile ceremonies: but no longer abus’d by charmers and superstitious fopperies, we have in this chapter endeavoured to set down and prescribe the best and most approved remedies hitherto found out, as well natural as artificial. And first, weeds are to be diligently pull’d up by hand after rain, whiles your seedlings are very young, and till they come to be able to kill them with shade, and over-dripping: And then are you for the obstinate, to use the haw, fork, and spade, to extirpate dog-grass, bear-bind, &c.