i8o THE FRUITS OF THE COUNTRY-SIDE 



Would our readers place themselves beneath our 

 guidance we could readily show them in abundance these 

 " hurts " in the wild moorland districts around Leith 

 HiU, the highest eminence in Surrey, a breezy land of 

 gloriously extensive prospects, having in one direction 

 the sea as its horizon, and our stroll should include a 

 visit to what, with all its pleasant possibilities of reaping 

 a goodly harvest of these welcome whortleberries, is 

 locally known as Hurts Hill. 



It will be recalled how Shakespeare, in the Merry Wives 

 of Windsor, refers to the bloom on the fruit — " Cricket, 

 to Windsor chimnies shalt thou leap ; there pinch the 

 maids as blue as bilberries." In Adam in Eden we read 

 that the berries are " an excellent Medicine, for those that 

 are troubled with an old Cough, but if they be eaten by 

 those that have a weak Stomach they will much offend it. 

 Painters, to colour Paper and Cards, do make a kind of 

 Purple blew colour, putting thereto some Allome and Galls, 

 whereby they can make it lighter and sadder as they please. 

 Some poor folk do take a Pot full of the juyce strained, 

 whereunto an Ounce of Allome, four spoonfulls of good 

 Wine Vinegar, and a quarter of an Ounce of the wast of 

 the Copper forgings, being put together and boyled all 

 together into this Liquor, whilst it is reasonable, but not 

 too hot, they put their Cloth, Wool, Thred, or Yarn 

 therein, letting it lie for a good while, which being taken 

 out and hung up to dry, will have the like Turkey blew 

 colour : and if they would have it sadder, they will put 

 thereunto, in the boyling, an Ounce of broken Gauls." 

 Poor Gauls ! In the far-off school-boy days, when we 

 were wrestling with desar de Bella Gallico, we bore them 



