146 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE i765 



side Alresford I found all the ponds without one drop of 

 water ; and the turf and corn burnt up in a very deplorable 

 manner ; and everything perishing in the gardens. . . . 



"The downs between Alresford and Andover are full 

 of Burnet; so full in many places that it is almost the 

 only herb that covers the ground ; and is eaten down very 

 close by sheep, who are fond of it. The case is the same 

 between Andover and Sarum where in many places the 

 ground is covered with Burnet now in seed : a child might 

 in those places gather a considerable quantity in a day. It 

 is worth observation that this herb seems to abound most in 

 poorest and shallowest chalky soil. On Selborne Common (a 

 rich strong piece of ground) it has not been yet discovered. 



"Near Walker's Ash I rode through a piece of ground 

 of about 400 acres which had been lately pared by a breast 

 plough for burning: here the Burnet was coming up very 

 thick on the bare ground, though the crown of the root 

 must have been cut off of course along with the turf: this 

 shows that it is a plant tenacious of life, since it springs 

 from the severed root like plantain." 



On June 24th, 1765, Mulso intimates that he is 



"pretty confident that if poor Ned Acton gets better and 

 can spare his assistant, or if any other hand can be got to 

 be employed in your musical affair, that you will set off for 

 Thornhill in a moment, in spite of the new fronting of your 

 stables. You build like rich men, who generally take care 

 of their horses' conveniencies before the rest of their family. 

 ... To whet your inclinations to come northward, I let you 

 know that my sister Chapone is now with us, and will, 

 I hope, stay with us till the winter.* . . . My sister kindly 



* It was on the occasion of this visit to her brother, or perhaps during 

 one paid in 1766, that Mrs. Chapone conceived that partiality for her niece, 

 his eldest daughter, to which society is indebted for her * Letters on the 

 Improvement of the Mind.' 



