6 WILD FLOWEKS. 



heard her tale and undertook the task, producing 

 from the substance which had been hitherto be- 

 lieved to be so useless, two pieces of linen of extra- 

 ordinary fineness. So the ill-natured castellan was 

 called upon to redeem the promise which he had 

 made on the conditions thus performed ; while, with 

 that literal fulfilment of the requirements of justice 

 which is peculiar to the realm of the imagination, 

 the same hour in which the bells rang out merrily, 

 in the bright, clear air, for the maiden's bridal, was 

 also that in which they sounded their solemn wail 

 for the hard-hearted founder of the now ruinous 

 Eberstein. 



It is really to be regretted that the fibres of the 

 nettle are not more extensively used in our own 

 country, as the plant thrives everywhere, and may 

 be grown in places which can be rendered subser- 

 vient to few other purposes. Though, in order to 

 produce a truly fine crop rich land is indispen- 

 ' sable. 



An excellent rennet is procured from the nettle, 

 a saturated solution of salt being made with a 

 decoction of the plant, which is then bottled 

 for use. A spoonful of this liquid will coagulate 

 a large bowl of milk without imparting to it 

 any disagreeable flavour, a desideratum not al- 

 ways attainable with the ordinary rennet. The 

 expressed juice also imparts a beautiful and per- 

 manent green dye to wool, while the roots, boiled 

 with alum, yield a good yellow. Both these 

 dyes are constantly employed by the Welsh pea- 

 sant-weavers. And the modern Greeks use the 



