Page:White - The natural history of Selborne, and the naturalist's calendar, 1879.djvu/244

222 elegant science of ornamenting without despising the superintendence of the kitchen quarters and fruit walls.

A remark made by the excellent Mr. Ray, in his "Tour of Europe," at once surprises us, and corroborates what has been advanced above; for we find him observing so late as his days, that, "The Italians use several herbs for sallets, which are not yet, or have not been but lately, used in England, viz., selleri (celery), which is nothing else but the sweet smallage; the young shoots whereof, with a little of the head of the root cut off, they eat raw with oil and pepper;" and further adds : "curled endive blanched is much used beyond seas; and for a raw sallet, seemed to excell lettuce itself." Now this journey was undertaken no longer ago than in the year 1663. I am, etc.

LETTER XXXVIII. , Feb. 12th, 1778.

,— 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