196 GILBERT WHITE AND OTHERS 



The " Molly " letters, with a few exceptions, were 

 included in the " Life," which was published in two 

 volumes in 1901. 



I think you will like G. White's " Life."* It ought to 

 have been, and might perfectly well have been, got into 

 one volume, and there are a few (very few) blemishes 

 in it. People ought to buy it, but I suppose the public 

 which takes I don't know how many thousand copies of 

 an " Englishwoman's Love-Letters " will not have it. 

 The book is too matter-of-fact for " gush," and as to 

 the reviewers they know nothing of the " inwardness " 

 of " Selborne," and in their ignorance make absolute 

 fools of themselves, when criticising this book.f 



Newton had little fault to find with the substance 

 of the book, but the covers were adorned with a Swallow 

 unlike any bird known to naturalists, which drew lamen- 

 tations from him : 



The green binding reminds me of the Willow Wren 

 and is therefore very appropriate, but why, oh why did 

 not Mr. Murray get somebody who knew what a Swallow 

 was to design the figure on the back ? They are carica- 

 tures of that blessed bird, as terrible to behold as those of 

 G.W. in another edition ! And a Swallow is such a 

 lovely bird ! 



And later on : 



If the Swallows on your binding were strictly con- 

 ventional, I should not mind them. The Swallows on a 

 plate don't spoil my dinner, but your binders have 

 attempted realistic Swallows and have disgracefully 

 failed. The designer (I will not call him draughtsman 

 even) ought to have a dozen or two thrust down his 

 throat. That would be an " object lesson " teaching 

 him what a bad swallow means. 



* "The Life and Letters of Gilbert White." By Rashleigh Holt- 

 White. Two vols., London, 1901. 



f Letter to Thomas Southwell, July 3, 1901. 



