24 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBOENE 



were received by him at Fyfield to be educated with 

 his own children. He died at Fyfield in December, 

 1788. 



The village and neighbourhood of Selborne have 

 been so often described, and are so well known to 

 Gilbert White's disciples and admirers, that it is 

 not necessary to very particularly dwell upon them 

 here. Nevertheless, since its position of great seclu- 

 sion, and certain of its natural features had un- 

 doubtedly much to do with the life and habits of 

 its ardent admirer and lifelong resident, Gilbert 

 White, the subject cannot be entirely disregarded. 



The village lies, then, almost equidistant about 

 five miles, from the Southampton and Portsmouth 

 coach roads respectively ; and in the naturalist's time, 

 and for many years afterwards, it could only be 

 reached from these roads through one of three lanes, 

 as regards which the traveller would probably have 

 been puzzled to say which he considered to be the 

 worst. Turning from the main road to Southampton 

 at the little town of Alton, he might go along a 

 narrow, winding lane past West Worldham to Harte- 

 ley, whence he would travel (upon the native rock !) 

 for about two miles between steep and almost per- 

 pendicular banks, so near to each other that carriages 

 could not pass one another except at particular 

 points. This is one of the "two rocky hollow 

 lanes" described at the beginning of the fifth letter 

 to Pennant Bad as the author of these letters knew 



