RYE 



RYE 



cf all, are, when there have been exceffive rains in the 

 fpring, and there come on exceffive heats in the fucceeding 

 fummer. 



The bread which is made of the rye that holds ever fo 

 much of this bad corn, is not diftinguifhable from other rye- 

 bread by the taite, and feldom produces its ill effeft, till 

 fome confiderable time after it is taken. Befide the gan- 

 grenes already mentioned, it not unfrequently brings on other 

 bad confequences, fuch as drying up the milk of women who 

 give fuck, and occafiouing fometimes malignant fevers, ac- 

 companied with drowfinefs, ravings, and other dangerous 

 fymptoms. The part ufually feized by the gangrene is the 

 legs, and this often in a very frightful manner. The arms 

 are the next part moft fubjeft ; but all the other parts of the 

 body are fubjeft to it. 



' The firft fymptom of this approaching gangrene is a ftu- 

 pefaftion and deadnefs in the part ; after this there comes 

 on fome pain, though not violent, and the (kin becomes livid ; 

 fometimes the fkin fhews no mark of it, but the pain and 

 fwelling increafe ; and it is necefTary to make an incifion 

 into the flefh, to find the gangrened part. In the more def- 

 perate cafes, the only remedy is, the taking off the part ; and 

 if this is neglefted, the flefh is all wafted, and the fkin becomes 

 black, and clings round the bones, and the gangrene appears 

 again in the fhoulders. 



The poorer people are only fubjeft to this difeafe ; and, 

 as they principally eat the rye-bread, and as thofe years 

 when there is moft of this bad grain among the ears of rye, 

 produce moft of thefe diforders, it has been judged certain 

 that the rye is the occafion of it. It may deferve enquiry, 

 however, whether that grain may not be innocent of the mif- 

 chief, and its degeneracy and the diftemperature attributed 

 to it may not both be the effeft of the fame bad conftitution 

 of the air. If it proves, on enquiry, that only thofe who 

 eat of the rye are fubieft to the difeafe, it will feem a proof 

 of its being really owing to it ; and in this cafe the mifchief 

 may be prevented by the fifting the grain before it is ground, 

 the degenerated grains being fo long that they will all remain 

 in the fieve that lets the others through. The experiment 

 has been made on the fpot, by giving the flour of the cor- 

 rupted grains alone to animals, and it is faid they have been 

 killed by it. Philof. Tranf. N° 130. 



RvE-Grafs, the common name of a particular fort of 

 grafs. See RAY-Grafs. 



It has been obferved, from the trials made at Wooburn, 

 under the care of Mr. G. Sinclair, that fheep eat this grafs, 

 when it is in the early ftage of its growth, in preference to 

 wioft others ; but after the feed approaches towards perfec- 

 tion, they leave it for almoft any other kind. A field in 

 the park at the above place was laid down in two equal 

 parts, one part with rye-grafs and white clover, and the 

 other part with cock's-foot and red clover : from the fpring 

 till midfummer the fheep kept almoft conftantly on the rye- 

 grafs ; but after that time they left it, and adhered with 

 equal conftancy to the cock's-foot during the remainder of 

 the feafon. 



Rye, or Wefl Rye, in Geography, a borough, market- 

 town, and cinque-port, under the title of " ancient port and 

 town," in the hundred of Goftrow,_ rape of Haftings, and 

 county of Suflex, England, is fituated on the coaft of the 

 Britifh Channel, at the diftance of 76 miles E. by W. from 

 Chichcfter, and 62 miles S.E. by E. from London. It is 

 of very high antiquity, but its early hiftory is little known. 

 It feems clear, however, that it was one of the original 

 cinque-ports, and is mentioned as a member of them gene- 

 rally, in a charter granted by king Henry III. In the 



reign of Edward III. the whole town was environed with 

 a itrong wall, and guarded by towers, under the fuperin- 

 tendance of William d'Ypres, earl of Kent. At that period 

 Rye was fo confidemble a port, that it furnifhed no fewer 

 than nine armed veff-ls to the royal fleet, when the king 

 undertook the invafion of France ; but it fuffered materially 

 in the next reign, having been plundered and burnt by the 

 French, who took advantage of the then diltrafted ftate of 

 the country, to attack iuch of the coalt-towns as were leaft 

 capable of refiftance. It loon, however, recovered from 

 this difafter, and became a port of confiderable confsquence ; 

 but the rife of others on the fame coaft has rendered it for 

 the laft century comparatively unimportant. The harbour, 

 which lies to the fouth-eaft of the town, is at prefent in a 

 neglefted ftate, notwithstanding it admits veffels of a large 

 fize to come quite up to the town-quay, about a mile and a 

 half from its entrance. At fpring tides the fea rifes fo high, 

 and fpreads ltfelf fo much, that two-thirds of the town are 

 furrounded by water. The mackarel and herrings caught 

 here in their feafons are reckoned the fineft of the kind 

 brought to the London market. 



Rye is a borough of itfelf by prefcription, as well as by 

 charters granted in confirmation of its privileges. The cor- 

 poration confills of a mayor, bailiff, jurats, and freemen. 

 The mayor and bailiff are chofen from among the jurats 

 on the Monday after St. Bartholomew's day, by the votes 

 of a majority of freemen. When a vacancy occurs among 

 the jurats, the mayor nominates a freeman to fupply it, but 

 he mult be approved of by the jurats before his appointment 

 becomes valid. Rye fends two members to parliament, who 

 are ofteniibly elected by the mayor, jurats, and freemen in- 

 habiting the borough, and paying fcot and lot ; but, in faft, 

 they are returned through the influence of the treafury, 

 which is paramount in all the cinque-ports. The principal 

 articles of trade here are, hops, wool, timber, kettles, can- 

 non, chimney-backs, and other iron goods, from the works 

 at Bakeley and at Breed. There are two weekly markets, 

 on Wednefday and Saturday ; and two annual fairs, on Whit- 

 monday and the 10th of Auguft. 



The town of Rye occupies a confiderable eminence, and 

 is, generally fpeaking, regular and well built. In the centre 

 of the principal ftreet Hands the market-houfe, the higher 

 ftory of which is appropriated as a town-hall, for the ufe 

 of the corporation. The church is conftrufted of ftone, 

 and is one of the largeft parochial edifices of the kind in 

 England, but does not otherwife claim particular attention. 

 Here is befides a chapel, which was lately appropriated to 

 the French refugees, who fettled in the town and its vicinity 

 during the late war ; alfo meeting-houfes for Methodifts, 

 Quakers, and other Diffenters. Here are likewife two free- 

 fchools, one of which was erected and endowed by a Mr. 

 Peacock in the year 1644; and the other by a M:. Saun- 

 ders, at a later period. The only monaftic eftablifhment in 

 Rye was a priory of Auguftine friars, which exifted previous 

 to the time of Edward III. and continued to flourifh till the 

 general diffolution of religious houfes by king Henry VIII. 

 The church formerly belonging to this monaftery is ftill 

 ftanding, having been converted into a ftore-houfe for mer- 

 cantile goods. Some remains of the ancient walls of the 

 town may yet be traced, but the ditches are entirely 

 filled up. 



According to the parliamentary returns of 181 1,. this 

 town and out-liberty contain 476 houfes, and 2681 inha- 

 bitants. Camden's Britannia, by Gough, Suffex, folio, 

 1789. Beauties of England and Wales, vol. xiv. 8vo. 



Rye, a town of Denmark, in North Jutland, formerly 

 important, but now much reduced. The church at Rye, 



in 



