Page:White - The natural history of Selborne, and the naturalist's calendar, 1879.djvu/16

x present advanced state of knowledge, not forgetting the Publishers' kindly warning that "the Editor should not make himself of more moment than the original author." Where notes appear at the foot of a page they are White's own. Those at the end of each chapter are by the Editor.

The village of Selborne presents no more special features of interest nor greater facilities for the study of Natural History than hundreds of other of our charming English villages; and it is the patient and close observation by one man of the natural world around him which has given it a name above its fellows. The general features of it do not vary very much from the time of White; and any description of it here would only challenge comparison with the close description of it given by the Author; but of the author himself we may tell all we know, for in his modesty he has told us nothing.

The materials for a sketch of White's life are singularly scanty. He kept no personal diary, and left no portrait of himself. In an edition of his book published in 1802, nine years after his death, his brother John wrote the following short sketch of his life.

"Gilbert White was the eldest son of John White of Selborne, Esq., and of Anne, the daughter of Thomas Holt, rector of Streatham in Surrey. He was born at Selburne on July 18th, 1720; and 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 fellow of his college. He became Master of Arts in October, 1746, and was admitted as one of the senior proctors of the University in April, 1752. Being of an unambitious temper, and strongly attached to the charms of rural