222 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



elegant science of ornamenting without despising the superintend- 

 ence of the kitchen quarters and fruit walls. 



A remark made by the excellent Mr. Ray, in his " Tour of 

 Europe," at once surprises us, and corroborates what has been 

 advanced above ; for we find him observing so late as his days, 

 that, "The Italians use several herbs for sallets, which are not 

 yet, or have not been but lately, used in England, viz., seller i 

 (celery), which is nothing else but the sweet smallage; the young 

 shoots whereof, with a little of the head of the root cut off, they 

 eat raw with oil and pepper ; " and further adds : " curled endive 

 blanched is much used beyond seas ; and for a raw sallet, seemed 

 to excell lettuce itself." Now this journey was undertaken no 

 longer ago than in the year 1 663. I am, etc. 



LETTER XXXVIII. 



SELBORNE, Feb. 12th, 1778. 



" Forte puer, comitum seductus ab agmine fido, 

 Dixerat, ecquis adest ? et, adest, respond erat echo, 

 Hie stupet ; utque aciem partes divisit in omnes ; 

 Voce, veni, clamat magna. Vocat ilia vocantem." * 



DEAR SIR, In a district so diversified as this, so full of hollow 

 vales and hanging woods, it is no wonder that echoes should 

 abound. Many we have discovered that return the cry of a pack 

 of dogs, the notes of a hunting-horn, a tunable ring of bells, or the 

 melody of birds very agreeably ; but we were still at a loss for a 

 polysyllabical articulate echo, till a young gentleman, who had 

 parted from his company in a summer evening walk, and was 

 calling after them, stumbled upon a very curious one in a spot 

 where it might least be expected. At first he was much surprised, 

 and could not be persuaded but that he was mocked by some 

 boy ; but repeating his trials in several languages, and finding his 



* " Chance parts the youth from his companions dear, 



He cries "Who's here ? " and Echo answers " Here ; " 



He stares around, and for a while stands dumb, 



Then shouts out, " Come," and Echo answers " Come." 



