MEMOIR OF GILBERT WHITE. GILBERT WHITE--the Father of English Natural History-was born at Selborne, Hants, July 18th, 1720, in the seventh year of the reign of King George I., and died June 26th, 1793, being seventy-two years and eleven months old. In order fully to appreciate his labours, I will endeavour to throw back the mind of the reader to the prominent events of which Gilbert White might have been witness, or about which he must have heard people talking. Queen Anne died in 1714, six years before White was born. The year of White's birth, 1720, was the year of the South Sea Bubble. When he was one year old, 1721, the great Duke of Marlborough died. When he was three years old, 1723, Atterbury was Dean of Westminster. When he was seven years old, 1727, Sir Isaac Newton died. When he was ten, 1730, the great John Hunter, the anatomist and physiologist, and founder of the Royal College of Surgeons, was born. When he was twenty-five years old, 1745, Prince Charles Edward gained Edinburgh after the victory of Prestonpans. When he was twentysix, on October 22nd, 1746, he took his degree at Oxford, as I find from a book in my library entitled, "A Catalogue of all Graduates in Divinity, Law, and Physick, and of all Masters of Arts and Doctors of Musick, who have regularly proceeded or been created in the University of Oxford, between October 10th, 1659, and October 10th, 1770. Printed at the Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1772." When he was thirty-two, 1752, the new style of computing the almanac was introduced into England. When thirtyseven, 1757, the conquest of India began under Colonel, afterwards Lord, Clive. When thirty-nine, 1759, General Wolfe was killed at Quebec. When he was forty, 1760, George III. ascended the throne. When he was forty-four, 1764, Canada was annexed. When he was fifty-eight, 1778, the Earl of Chatham died. When he was sixty-three, 1783, America was separated from England. Gilbert White died on June 26th, 1793. The great John Hunter, the anatomist, died also in 1793-on October 16th, aged sixty-four, or nine years younger than Gilbert White. Gilbert White's first letter with a date is Letter X., August 4th, 1767. The preface to the first edition is dated January 1st, 1788. Gilbert White, therefore, must have been writing his letters over twenty years. White's "History of Selborne" is of itself a most charming book. If the reader wishes thoroughly to appreciate the great merits of the illustrious author, he must not fail to pay a visit to Selborne itself. I have inspected Selborne and its neighbourhood. The first impression of Selborne, especially when driving in from Alton, is that it is a very pretty place, a perfect type of English woodland scenery and country life. The visitor should carry his "White" in his hand and read the great Gilbert's graphic writings on the very spots described; he should also take a good ordnance map with him, in order to get a general idea of the neighbouring country. Under circumstances as above Selborne and its vicinity become most interesting. I do not think the village, a sketch of which is given by Mr. Delamotte, p. 12, can have been much altered since White's time, except that some of the shops now have plate-glass fronts, which would astonish Gilbert White considerably if he could see them. During my visit to Selborne I was most hospitably received by Professor Bell, who now resides, and has resided for the last thirty-three years, in the house where Gilbert White lived; of this an admirable drawing is given by Mr. Delamotte at page 9. On entering the house, I found myself in an ante-hall with a very low roof and white-washed ceiling. Mr. Bell ushered me into Gilbert White's study. This room in a moment recalled to my mind long dormant memories of my early youth. I was born in Christ Church College, Oxford, December 17th, 1826; my Father was then Canon of Christ Church; his uncle, the Rev. John Buckland, Fellow of Corpus Christi College, then held the living of Warborough near 1 Selborne can be reached from London by going from Waterloo Station to Alton, about two hours' journey, and there taking a fly. Selborne is about five miles from Alton. There is another route from Liss Station on the South Western line. Mr. Blunden of the Queen's Arms, Selborne, has comfortable apartments, and can send his fly to either station. Mr. Blunden is able and always willing to point out the various localities, &c., mentioned by White. Oxford. The Rev. John Buckland was born in 1769, when White was forty-nine years old. John Buckland died, aged ninety-one, in 1837, when I was eleven years old. It is more than probable, therefore, that my great uncle knew White personally. As John Buckland was contemporary with White twenty-five years, and was nineteen years old when the first edition of White appeared, I can in some measure connect myself with the times of White. When Professor Bell ushered me into White's study, my memory instantly went back to the old uncle's study at Warborough, where I had often played and eaten cakes and taken tea as a child. The old uncle was a simple country parson, and must have lived much in the same style as White did. White's study at Selborne is a plain room, admirably adapted for quiet writing and thought. White's bookcase, in which his books were formerly kept, is still in the study. It is a simple, wooden, close-fronted case, with brass wire netting. On one end is fastened the thermometer by means of which White took his observations. The tube is not inserted into a case, but simply fixed against the wall: a small ivory index is let into the wood-work of the bookcase. There is a thermometer of almost precisely similar character in the study of Newton Valence parsonage. The tradition is that it was fixed up in its present position by Gilbert White himself. Professor Bell told me that White's books had been dispersed, and he knew not where they had gone. I can however indicate the titles of some of the books that probably inhabited this case. When my father, the late Dean of Westminster, died, Aug. 14, 1856, a great many of my old uncle's books came to my share. I can therefore state, pretty well for certain, that some of the following books were in White's library at Selborne:- The Jewel House of Nature, Containing Divers rare and profitable Inventions, together with sundry new Experiments in the Art of Husbandry. Sold by Elizabeth Alsop, Grub Street, near the Upper Pump, 1653. Three Physico-Theological Discoveries, concerning-1st, Primitive Chaos and Creation of the World; 2nd, The General Deluge, its Causes and Effects; 3rd, The Dissolution of the World and Future Conflagration. William Innys, Prince's Arms, St. Paul's Church Yard, 1713. De Statu Mortuorum et Resurgentium Tractatus. Autore Thoma Burnetio, S.T.P. Londini, 1727. Piscatory Eclogues, an Essay to introduce New Rules and New Characters into Pastoral: "Rura mihi et regni placeant in vallibus amnes John Brindley, King's Arms, New Bond Street, 1729. Physico-Theology, or a Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God. rom His works of Creation. W. Derham, Canon of Windsor, Manby, Westend of St. Paul's, 1732. Sermons and Discourses on Several Subjects and Occasions. By Frances Atterbury. Exshaw, Dublin, 1741. Discourses on the Four Gospels, chiefly with regard to the peculiar design of each, and the order and places in which they were written, to which is added, An Enquiry concerning the Hours of St. John of the Romans, and of some other Nations of Antiquity. By Thomas Townson, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. Rivington, London, 1787. Blair's Sermons, published 1777, and The Anatomical Instructor, or an illustration of the modern and most approved methods of preparing and preserving the different parts of the Human Body and of Quadrupeds. By Thomas Pole, Member of the Corporation of Surgeons in London. "Ad cædes hominum prisca amphitheatra patebant Inscrip. on Anat. Theatre, Paris. Darlon and Co., Gracechurch Street, 1790. Mr. Bell informed me there was no portrait whatever existing of Gilbert White. He however pointed out a portrait of an old gentleman who was White's grandfather as well as godfather; he has a very intelligent face, strongly-marked furrows; certainly the face of a man of a well-marked character. White's walking-stick was in one corner of the room: it is a pale malacca cane; on the top is a silver plate bearing the figure of an Heraldic creature, probably meant for a parrot. A portrait in oil of the hybrid between a black-cock and a pheasant is over the door. In the edition of 1713 there is a general view of Selborne. The figure standing on the brow of the hill, in the old-fashioned costume of White's time, is supposed to be White himself. He probably wore a clerical wig, knee-breeches and buckles. I tried all I could to get local evidence or stories about White. A villager of the name of Henry Wells-a labourer, nick-named "Farmer"-told me that "White was thought very little of till he was dead and gone, and then he was thought a great deal of." He then referred me to Mrs. Small. Mrs. Small is ninety-three years of age. I found her to be in perfect health, and a very shrewd, intelligent old woman. Mrs. Small was born in 1782, she was therefore eleven years old when White died; she could not recollect much about him except that "be was a quiet old gentleman with very old-fashioned sayings;" and that "there was in White's time a butcher's shop opposite his door, and a butcher's shop is there now." "White used to give a number of poor people a goose every Christmas. He was very kind in giving presents to the poor. He used to keep a locust which crawled about the garden." When I said "tortoise"1 1 White's tortoise was named Timothy. she said, "Ah, that's what I mean." She said that old Dame Terry knew all about White, but Dame Terry had been dead forty-eight years. Dame Terry must have been over eighty, therefore she must have been contemporary with White many years. Mr Binnie, gardener to Mr. Bell, said that there was an old man of the name of James Cobb who was nearly ninety, and was eight years old when White died. When Cobb saw White coming he used to run and put stones into the ruts and fill them up. White used to give him a penny and say "Good boy, good boy." Mr. Binnie recollects Butler the thatcher, who was married by White, and who died aged ninety-two. Mr. Binnie said that Hale who died in 1855, aged seventy-eight, described White to him as a "little, thin, prim, upright man.' Hale must have been sixteen years old when White died. He frequently had tea with White. Gilbert White was a quiet, unassuming, but very observant country parson. The access to Selborne in those days must have been very difficult (vide page 11). This worthy man therefore occupied his time in observing and recording the habits of his parishioners, quadruped as well as feathered. Mr. Bell kindly took me to a room up stairs, where he showed me a large number of White's manuscripts. Having thoroughly inspected White's house and village, I was able to discover why his notes are so disconnected. When he returned home he took a sheet of paper and wrote his observations of the day. I observed the manuscript was very much faded; it is written on the same sort of paper and with the same kind of ink as letters written by the Rev. John Buckland of Warborough. In those days it is evident that blotting-paper was little, if at all used, for many of the lines were iridescent, as though the dust used instead of blotting-paper was made of brass filings or some such material. I was happy to hear from Mr. Bell that he is about to issue an edition of White's "Selborne." The numerous manuscripts in his possession will indeed make Professor Bell's book most. interesting. Mr. Bell intends his edition to be a classical book, more fit for the student's library than for general readers. The Professor most generously informed me he was glad to hear I was bringing out this edition, and he promised me any assistance in his power. Professor Bell has lived at Selborne thirtythree years, and cherishes White's memory with the greatest reverence; and into no better hands could White's house, manuscripts, &c., especially the correspondence with Linnæus, have passed than Professor Bell's. White's sun-dial still exists at the end of the garden, the |