letters to whom, and four from Linnæus to him, will be found in the second volume. It is remarkable that Mr.

Bennett, in the preface to his edition, should have fallen into the mistake (perpetuated, of course, by his copyists) that the Rev. John White was vicar of Blackburn before he went to Gibraltar. It will be seen that, of the six letters to Linnæus just mentioned, the only one from Gibraltar is of the date June 30, 1771, and the first from England is dated London, Jan. 1, 1773; the others are all from Blackburn, of various dates, from November 1773 to October 1774. Gilbert White, writing to his brother at Blackburn, August 2, 1773, says, "I find you still, as when you resided on the other side of the Pyrenean mountains, my most steady and communicative correspondent." It was, then, after his return from Gibraltar that he was instituted to the living of Blackburn, where for many years he continued his correspondence with his brother, whose letters to him will be read with great pleasure, as many of them evince the same qualities of style and matter as those which characterize his book. Gilbert took great interest in the progress of his brother's work, and there are repeated allusions to the subject in his letters to him. Even so early as in that which I have mentioned above, there appears an entreaty that he will "revise his journal without loss of time;" but in a letter of later date, to Daines Barrington, he refers to it as the work of the late Rev. J. White, "not yet published." The introduction to this work is now in my possession.

A letter from John White to his brother Gilbert, written some time after the former had gone to Gibraltar, indicates that some circumstances connected with his marriage had given uneasiness to his brothers in

England. His wife, however, had followed him to that place, and there a son was born in January 1759. This boy, after his father's return to England, resided for a considerable time with his uncle Gilbert, who was much attached to him, and appears, from his frequent affectionate mention of him in his letters to the father at Blackburn, to have treated him as a son. His studies of the best classical authors under his uncle's guidance and teaching, and the discrimination with which the subjects of those studies were selected, manifest the anxious care with which his education was conducted; and he became, in return, very useful to his uncle, acting occasionally as his amanuensis, and in various other ways. A reference to the letters of Gilbert White to his brother will show in a very interesting manner the intimate relation in which "Jack" stood to his uncle, the anxious care and supervision of the latter, and the practical gratitude of the boy. There can be no doubt that his success in after life was, in a great degree, the result of this influence. After many schemes had been considered with the greatest care and anxiety, he was brought up to the medical profession; and, after having practised for a time at Alton, he was induced to migrate to Salisbury, where he shortly afterwards was elected surgeon to the Infirmary in that city. His mother, after her husband's death, resided with Gilbert White, and remained with him during the remainder of his life.

Anne, who was born in April 1731, was married to Thomas Barker, Esq., of Lyndon Hall, in the county of Rutland, a gentleman of an ancient and respectable family*, and the grandson, on his mother's side, of the

*The following passage is from a letter of Mr. Barker's to Gilbert White:"I find Bercarius for Barker in papers under my uncle

celebrated William Whiston, who died at Lyndon in 1752, at the age of 85. Mr. Barker's father was a man of deep learning, well known as a profound Hebrew scholar and Greek critic; and Mr. Thomas Barker was bimself possessed of considerable literary and scientific acquirements. Mrs. Barker had one son, Samuel, and three daughters. They were frequent correspondents of Gilbert White; and many of his letters to them will be found in the second volume, and are very pleasing and interesting. Those to his nephew, extending from his boyhood to within a short time of his uncle's death, are remarkable for the variety of information and the pure classical taste which characterize them. One of the most pleasing of his poems, the Invitation to Selborne,' was addressed to him. Mr. Barker died in 1803, in the 88th year of his age.

The daughters, as appears from their uncle's letters, were skilful in music, and played well on the harpsichord; and it was in a letter to Mary Barker that he first quoted that favourite passage on the effects of music, from Gassendi's 'Life of Peiresc,' which occurs in Letter LVI. to Daines Barrington, and which I also find quoted, with similar remarks, in one of his letters to the Rev. Mr. Churton. Mrs. Barker died in 1801.

Samuel Barker married Miss Haggitt, a young lady of Northamptonshire, which event he announced in a letter to his uncle in July 1786. All his letters, several of which will be found in the correspondence, indicate how much he was imbued with the same tastes and pursuits as his relative, to whose influence he doubtless, in a great William Whiston's hand, and I imagine the real name was Barker, and it was Latinized Bercarius. . . . In the same hand I find William le Barker mentioned in Rutland as long ago as Edward the First's time."

...

measure, owed them. He was High Sheriff of Rutland in 1815, and died in 1835, leaving two daughters.

Henry, the youngest of the family, born in 1733, was rector of Fyfield, near Andover. Several of Gilbert's letters to his brother John and other branches of the family, and one to Daines Barrington, were written at Fyfield. He had several pupils, and his success in tuition appears to have been considerable. The intelligence of his sudden death is thus communicated to his brotherin-law, Mr. Barker, in a letter dated Jan. 8, 1789:You must have heard, no doubt before now, of the sad and afflicting news from Fyfield-of the sudden and unexpected event that has plunged a numerous family in the deepest sorrow and trouble. . How the widow and children are to proceed I have not yet heard. When the news arrived here, I wrote away immediately to Lady Young, entreating her to apply to the Chancellor for the living of Fyfield for Sam." This application was unsuccessful, as the living of Fyfield had been already promised; but the letter proceeds-"Two or three days ago a note came to Bro. B. from the Chan. informing him that Uphaven was at his service. Now you must remember that Uphaven was a very small vicarage indeed; however, Bro. H., I hear, had improved it not a little." By this it appears that he held the vicarage of Uphaven at the same time with the rectory of Fyfield. The letter goes on"I now see more and more reason to be thankful to Providence for enabling me to procure so many friends to assist me in getting Sam elected Fellow. That young man, whom all speak well of, may become the stay and support of the family."

It appears that Henry entered at Oriel College, under his brother's auspices, at Easter, 1749, but did not re

side there until November 16, 1750. His grandson, William White, F.S.A., is the well-known ecclesiastical architect*.

Of Gilbert White's boyhood I have been unable to obtain any information, beyond the simple fact, mentioned in the brief sketch by his nephew, prefixed to the second quarto and most subsequent editions of the work. "He received his school education at Basingstoke, under the Rev. Thomas Warton, vicar of that place, and father of those two distinguished literary characters, Dr. Joseph Warton, master of Winchester School, and Mr. Thomas Warton, Poetry Professor at Oxford. He was admitted at Oriel College, Oxford, in December 1739, and took his degree of Bachelor of Arts in June 1743. In March 1744, he was elected a Fellow of his college. He became Master of Arts in 1746." His election to a Fellowship is the first indication that I have met with of his possessing those talents and acquirements which afterwards manifested themselves in so pleasing and effective, although unostentatious a manner throughout his social life, as well as in his works. He received deacon's orders on Sunday, April 27, 1747, in the cathedral of Christ's Church, from the eminent Thomas Secker, then Bishop of Oxford, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury.

At that time, his uncle, Charles White, held the rectory of Bradley, about six miles N.W. of Alton, and the perpetual curacy of Swarraton, near Old Alresford. Immediately after his ordination he entered upon his duties as curate of his uncle's living of Swarraton; and I find

*This gentleman has lately been engaged in conducting the restoration of Selborne Church.