218 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



with a little of the head of the root cut off, they eat raw 

 with oil and pepper." And further he 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. 



I a 111, etc. 



LETTER XXXVni 



" Forti puer, comitum seductus ab agmine fldo, 

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

 Hie stupet ; utque aciem partes divisit in omnes ; 

 Voce, veni, clamat magna. Vocat ilia vocantom.'' 



Seldorne, Feb. 12, 1778. 



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 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 sur- 

 prised, 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 dis- 



