OF SELBORNE. 207 



premises in a comfortable state; and began, by building a 

 solid stone wall round the front-court, and another in the 

 lower yard, between that and the neighbouring garden ; but 

 was interrupted by death from fulfilling his laudable intentions. 



April 1680, Barnabas Long became vicar. 



June 1681. This living was now in such low estimation in 

 Magdalen-college, that it descended to a junior fellow, Gilbert 

 White, M.A.* who was instituted to it in the thirty-first year 

 of his age. At his first coming he ceiled the chancel, and also 

 floored and wainscoted the parlour and hall, which before 

 were paved with stone, and had naked walls ; he enlarged the 

 kitchen and brewhouse, and dug a cellar and well : he also 

 built a large new barn in the lower yard, removed the hovels 

 in the front court, which he laid out in walks and borders ; 

 and entirely planned the back garden, before a rude field with 

 a stone-pit in the midst of it. By his will he gave and 

 bequeathed " the sum of forty pounds to be laid out in the 

 " most necessary repairs of the church ; that is, in strength- 

 " ening and securing such parts as seem decaying and dan- 

 " gerous." With this sum two large buttresses were erected 

 to support the east end of the south wall of the church ; and 

 the gable-end wall of the west end of the south aisle was new 

 built from the ground. 



By his will also he gave " One hundred pounds to be laid 

 " out on lands; the yearly rents whereof shall be employed in 

 " teaching the poor children of Selbourn parish to read and 

 " write, and say their prayers and catechism, and to sew and 

 " knit : and be under the direction of his executrix as long 

 " as she lives ; and, after her, under the direction of such of 

 " his children and their issue, as shall live in or within five 

 " miles of the said parish : and on failure of any such, then 

 " under the direction of the vicar of Selbourn for the time 

 " being ; but still to the uses above-named." With this sum 

 was purchased, of Thomas Turville, of Hawkeley, in the 

 county of Southampton, yeoman, and Hannah his wife, two 

 doses of freehold land, commonly called Collier's, containing, 

 by estimation, eleven acres, lying in Hawkeley aforesaid. These 

 * The author's grandfather and godfather. 



