OF SELBORNE. 241 



pepper." And farther, lie adds, " curled endive blanched is 

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

 excel lettuce itself." Now, this journey was undertaken no 

 longer ago than in the year 1663. 



LETTER XXXVIII. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON. 



" Forte puer, comitum seductus ab agmine fido, 

 Dixerat, ecquis adest ? et, adest, responderat echo. 

 Hie stupet ; utque aciem partes divisit in omnes, 

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



SELBORNE, Feb. 12, 1778. 



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 j 

 but we were still at a loss for a polysyllabical, articulate 

 echo, till a young gentleman, who had parted from his com- 

 pany 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 find- 

 ing 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, espe- 

 cially if quick dactyls were chosen. The last syllables of 



<{ Tityre, tu patulae recubans " 



were as audibly and intelligibly returned as the first ; and 

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



R 



