ttle stir amongst learned men, of what material the Cross was made,
on which our Blessed Saviour suffer'd: Venerable Bede in _Collectaneis_,
affirms it to have been fram'd of several woods, namely cypress, cedar,
pine, and box; and to confirm it S. Hierom has cited the 6th of _Isaiah_
13. _Gloria libani ad te veniet, & buxus & pinus simul ad ornandum locum
sanctificationis meae, & locum pedum meorum significabo_; but following
the version of the LXX. he reads _in cupresso, pinu & cedro_, &c. Others
insert the palm, and so compose the gibbet of no less than four
different timbers, according to the old verse:

Nail'd were his feet to cedar, to palm his hands;
Cypress his Body bore, title on olive stands:{52:1}

And for this of the palm, they fetch it from that of 7 _Cant._ 8. where
'tis said, _ascendam in palmam, & apprehendam fructus ejus_, and from
other allegorical and mysterious expressions of the Sacred Text, without
any manner of probability; whilst by Alphonsus Ciacconius, Lipsius,
Angelus Rocca, Falconius, and divers other learned men (writing on this
subject) and upon accurate examination of the many fragments pretended
to be parcels of it, 'tis generally concluded to have been the oak; and
I do verily believe it; since those who have described those countries,
assure us there is no tree more frequent; which (with relation to
several celebrations and mysteries under oaks in the Old Testament) has
been the subject of many fine discourses. Nor is it likely they should
chuse, or assemble so many sorts of woods with that curiosity, to
execute one upon, whom they esteemed a malefactor; besides, we read how
heavy it was, which cypress, cedar and palm are not in comparison with
oak; whilst Gretser denies all this, _lib._ 1. _cap._ 6. and concludes
upon his accurate examination of several fragments yet extant, that 'tis
not discernible of what timber it was fram'd. We might add to these, the
furious zeal of the bloody and malicious Jews (to see our B. Lord
inhumanly executed) could not possibly allow leisure to frame a gibbet
of so many rare and curious materials: Let this therefore pass for an
errant legend.

That which is twin'd and a little wreathed (easily to be discern'd by
the texture of the bark) is best to support burthens for posts, columns,
summers, &c. for all which our English oak is infinitely preferable to
the French, which is nothing so useful, nor comparably so strong;
insomuch as I have frequen