# Leaves between pages in an old Anglican book? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaves-between-pages-in-an-old-anglican-book/814590 "2018-05-21T21:57:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaves-between-pages-in-an-old-anglican-book/814590/1 "2018-05-21T21:57:05Z")
I was looking through an old book from my great-great grandfather to list it in the odd books thread but decided to focus on the leaves. The book is certainly obscure, printed in 1721 and written by Mr Charles Leflie (Leslie). The full title is: \*\*\*The Theological Works of the Reverend Mr Charles Leflie. ``` A short and Eafy METHOD with the DEISTS, wherein the CERTAINTY of the Chriftian Religion ``` is demonftrated by Infallible Proof from FOUR RULES, which are Incompatible to any Imposture that ever yet has been, or that can poffibly be.\*\*\* This short and easy method is contained in 2 volumes, oversized and having over 800 pages each. And when he is started with the Deists he has another title page with Jews replacing Deists. He then proceeds to tear a new asshole in Jews and Deists in support of (I guess) some subset of Martin Luther’s Protestant movement viewed through his Anglican eyes. In other books he attacks Quakers (titled a Snake in the Grass), the Church of Rome, the Church of England, William III, and the Socinians. Whew, his sermons must have been a hoot! But that’s not important. What is, is that about every 100 pages or so a handful of maple leaves is stuffed between the pages. Just plain, brown, flat as Hell (oops, excuse me, Chuck), maple leaves. This is not the simple pressing of a memento leaf. Is this supposed to ward off mildew or what? Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2018, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaves-between-pages-in-an-old-anglican-book/814590/2 "2018-05-21T22:38:48Z")
Whoever owned the book before you was fond of maple leaves, and so pressed a bunch of them in a big, heavy book that they didn’t take off the shelf very often. ---
**Author:** ![TRC4941](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trc4941/32/6792_2.png) [@TRC4941](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TRC4941)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaves-between-pages-in-an-old-anglican-book/814590/3 "2018-05-22T15:12:41Z")
That’s how I press my leaves if I want to use them for decoration, etc. Find the heaviest book I have, usually a Stephen King book. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaves-between-pages-in-an-old-anglican-book/814590/4 "2018-05-22T15:26:19Z")
I’m familiar with pressing leaves, but this is a bit different. They are not arranged at all, just stuffed together. usually people would put leaves in a single later at least. Oh, well. They are flat and not folded so probably a mass flattening. I wonder if carbon dating can give accurate results for things only a couple hundred years old at the most. Then I could at least guess as to who put them there. So on the outside chance I have 250 year old leaves that have been kept out of contact with sunlight and air, are they of any interest to some researcher? Dennis ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaves-between-pages-in-an-old-anglican-book/814590/5 "2018-05-22T19:00:42Z")
> [@mixdenny](#): > > I wonder if carbon dating can give accurate results for things only a couple hundred years old at the most. No. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/leaves-between-pages-in-an-old-anglican-book/814590/6 "2018-05-22T20:17:09Z")
If I’ve learned anything from Doctor Who, if you release one of those into the wind, it will hit some guy in the face, causing an accident that allows him to meet his future wife, who will give birth to someone important.