THE EET. GILBERT WHITE. Xlll 



voyage, and caine to anchor on the coast of England, in the 

 harbour of Chichester. In that city my kidnapper sold me for 

 half-a-crown to a country gentleman, who came up to attend an 

 election. I was immediately packed in a basket, and carried, 

 slung by the servant's side, to their place of abode. As we 

 rode very hard for forty miles, and as I had never been on 

 horseback before, I found myself somewhat giddy with my airy 

 jaunt. 



My purchaser, who was a good-humoured man, after showing 

 me to some of his neighbours, and giving me the name of 

 Timothy, took little further notice of me, so I fell under the 

 care of his lady, a benevolent woman, whose humane attention 

 extended to the meanest of her retainers. With this gentle- 

 woman I remained almost forty years, living in a little walled-in 

 court, in the front of her house, and enjoying much quiet, and as 

 much satisfaction as I could expect without society, which I 

 often languished after. At last the good old lady died, at a very 

 advanced age, such as even a tortoise would call a great age, and 

 I then became the property of her nephew. 



This man, my present master, dug me out of my winter 

 retreat, and packing me in a deal box, jumbled me eighty miles 

 to my present abode. I was sorely shaken by this expedition, 

 which was the worst journey I ever experienced. In my present 

 situation I enjoy many advantages, such as the range of an 

 extensive garden, affording a variety of sun and shade, and 

 abounding in lettuces, poppies, kidney-beans, and many other 

 salubrious and delectable herbs and plants, and especially with 

 a good choice of delicate gooseberries ! But still at times I miss 

 my good old mistress, whose grave and regular deportment suited 

 best with my disposition ; for you must know that my present 

 master is what men call a naturalist, and much visited by people 

 of that turn, who often put him on whimsical experiments, such 

 as feeling my pulse, putting me into a tub of water to try if I 

 can swim, &c. ; and twice a year I am carried to the grocer's to 

 be weighed, that it may be seen how much I am wasted during 

 the months of my abstinence, and how much I gain by feeding 

 during the summer. Upon these occasions, I am placed on my back 

 in the scale, where I sprawl about, to the great diversion of the 



