NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 191 



LETTER XXVI. 



TO THE SAME. 



SELBORNE, Nov. \st, 1775- 



"Hie .... tsedae pingues, hie plurimus ignis 

 Semper, et assidua pastes fuligine nigri." * 



DEAR SIR, I shall make no apology for troubling you with the 

 detail of a very simple piece of domestic economy, being satisfied 

 that you think nothing beneath your attention that tends to utility ; 

 the matter alluded to is the use of rushes instead of candles, which 

 I am well aware prevails in many districts besides this ; but as I 

 know there are countries also where it does not obtain, and as I 

 have considered the subject with some degree of exactness, I shall 

 proceed in my humble story, and leave you to judge of the 

 expediency. 



The proper species of rush for this purpose seems to be the 

 juncus effusus, or common soft rush, which is to be found in most 

 moist pastures, by the sides of streams, and under hedges. These 

 rushes are in best condition in the height of summer ; but may be 

 gathered, so as to serve the purpose well, quite on to autumn. It 

 would be needless to add that the largest and longest are best. 

 Decayed labourers, women, and children, make it their business to 

 procure and prepare them. As soon as they are cut, they must be 

 flung into water, and kept there, for otherwise they will dry and 

 shrink, and the peel will not run. At first a person would find 

 it no easy matter to divest a rush of its peel or rind, so as to leave 

 one regular, narrow, even rib from top to bottom that may support 

 the pith ; but this like other feats, soon become familiar even to 

 children ; and we have seen an old woman, stone blind, performing 

 this business with great despatch, and seldom failing to strip them 

 with the nicest regularity. When these junci are thus far prepared 



* " With heapy fires our cheerful hearth is crowned ; 

 And firs for torches in the woods abound ' 

 We fear not more the winds, and wintry cold, 

 Than streams the bank, nor wolves the bleating fold." 



DRYD. VIRG. Eel. vii, line 70- 



