text:  What was the meaning of the latter phraseology I did not know; but considering it desirable at that period to cut down certain trees on my recently purchased estate I proceeded with Thomas Hodge the carpenter and various other artificers of my parishioners (all being friends and dependents of the great lady ) and with saws and other instruments did level the whole row of very large oaks and elm trees which bordered the only high-road from Oxford; and by some strange accident all the trees did fall exactly across the same and made it utterly impossible to move thereupon with cart or waggon; so that it was much to be suspected that the guns which we heard were ordered to come up from Wallingford could by no means get over the obstruction