628 
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 
and questioned her about cutting the rushes, she told him that it was 
the work of the women to cut and peel the rushes, as women are the 
light of the house. The story further goes on to tell how, captivated 
by her beauty and her aptitude for housekeeping, he made her his 
Queen. Our story very plainly describes the first process in the manu- 
facture of rush -lights : the cutting of long green rushes, and peeling 
them until nothing remained of the outside rind except a narrow strip 
of green just sufficient to bind together the pith. The rushes when 
thus prepared and dried were dipped into a vessel called a grisset, con- 
taining melted grease, and then dried. The grisset, of which I exhibit 
a miniature specimen, was a boat-shaped vessel of metal or iron, standing 
on three legs, and having a long handle projecting from the centre of 
the side. There were also long, narrow baskets, made for holding the 
prepared rushes, which were much prized, and considered suitable for 
wedding presents. The preparing and peeling of rushes was part of 
the work of every farmer's wife, almost to our own time; and the pre- 
paring and selling of bundles of rushes to old bachelors, and other 
unfortunates who had no women in their families to do the work, was 
a regular industry among the poor. 
E'ow, with regard to the candlesticks or stands which held these 
rush -lights, they were very diverse in pattern ; yet I think we can trace, 
not only distinct types, but also a steady progress in type in their manu- 
facture. At first, I have no doubt that they were made of wood, and 
displayed but little refinement of art, although they showed a ready 
wit in the manner of their construction. I have had descriptions given 
me, or sent to me from different parts of Ireland, of these early and 
rude candlesticks. One such description was given me by a county 
Carlow man over eighty years of age, of a candlestick which was of a 
type that was old when he was young, and may well be a survival of 
the primitive pattern. He described this candle-holder as a round or 
square oak stick of the size of an ordinary spade-handle, or somewhat 
thicker, inserted in a block of wood : its height depending on whether it 
was to stand on the floor or on a table. If it was to stand on the floor, 
it would be about three feet long ; if to stand on a table, it would be 
about ten or eleven inches in height. This upright post was bored in 
the centre to contain a candle, and had inserted in it, at right angles, 
a small piece of wood with a notch cut in it to hold a rush-light. The 
rush -light when inserted in the notch was kept in position by a wooden 
spring attached to the upright shaft, which sprang back against the 
notched hollow in the projecting shaft, and thus prevented the rush 
from dropping out. I had a model made of this type of candlestick 
