214 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



LETTER XXXVIII. 



Selborne, Feb. 12th, 1778. 



*' Fort^ puer, comitum seductus ab agmine fido, 

 Dixerat, Ecquis adest ? et, Adest, responderat Echo. 

 Hie stupet ; utque aciem partes divisit in omnes ; 

 Voce, Veni, clamat magnL Yocat ilia vocantem."* 



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 

 respondent to be a very adroit polyglot, he then discerned 

 the deception. 



This echo in an evening, before rural noises cease, would 

 repeat ten syllables most articulately and distinctly, 

 especially if quick dactyls were chosen. The last syllables 

 of 



" Tityre, tu patulse recubans . . . *' • 



were as audibly and intelligibly returned as the first ; and 

 there is no doubt, could trial have been made, but that at 



* " 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.' " 



