126 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1734 



of small importance by some sentimental writers, 

 who have enlarged on '*the pathos" of this incident. 



Timothy the Tortoise to Miss Hechy Mulso. 



From the border under the fruit wall, 

 Aug. 31, 1784. 



Most respectable lady, — Your letter gave me great satis- 

 faction, being the first that ever I was honored with. It 

 is my wish to answer you in your own way ; but I never 

 could make a verse in my life, so you must be contented 

 with plain prose. Having seen but little of this great 

 world, conversed but little and read less, I feel myself 

 much at a loss how to entertain so intelligent a corre- 

 spondent. Unless you will let me write about myself, my 

 answer will be very short indeed. Know then that I am 

 an American, and was born in the year 1734 in the Province 

 of Virginia in the midst of a Savanna that lay between a 

 large tobacco plantation and a creek of the sea. Here 

 I spent my youthful days among my relations with much 

 satisfaction, and saw around me many venerable kinsmen, 

 who had attained to great ages without any interruption 

 from distempers. Longevity is so general among our species 

 that a funeral is quite a strange occurrence. I can just 

 remember the death of my great-great-grandfather, who 

 departed this life in the 160th year of his age. Happy 

 should I have been in the enjoyment of my native climate 

 and the society of my friends had not a sea-boy, who was 

 wandering about to see what he could pick up, surprised 

 me as I was sunning myself under a bush; and whipping 

 me into his wallet, carryed me aboard his ship. The 

 circumstances of our voyage are not worthy a recital; I 

 only remember that the rippling of the water against the 

 sides of our vessel as we sailed along was a very lulling 

 and composing sound, which served to sooth my slumbers 



