138 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE i784 



Mr. Bell (in his edition, vol. ii. p. 156) recounts 

 that the letter Gilbert White wrote to Mr. Pink 

 warning him to look out for the balloon was the 

 occasion of a very ludicrous circumstance. Mr. 

 Pink, a very respectable yeoman, was on his way to 

 Alton market, the day after he received the letter, 

 when he overtook a neighbour, and asked him if 

 he had heard or seen Mr. White lately. Being 

 answered in the negative, he said, "Ah, poor man, 

 he is very far gone indeed ! " pointing to his head. 

 " I had a letter from him yesterday, and what do 

 you think he said to me, and desired me to do ? — he 

 told me to look out sharp to the north-east between 

 one and three o'clock to-day, and perhaps I should see 

 two men riding in the air in a balloon." To which 

 his neighbour replied, " Then he must be pretty far 

 gone indeed." Mr. Pink expressed great sorrow, 

 as he very much respected him. When they came 

 to Alton Butts, a small open common just as you 

 enter Alton, a large concourse of people were 

 assembled together, looking earnestly upwards. Mr. 

 Pink asked them what they were about ; to which 

 they replied that if he would look over the church 

 he would see two men riding in a balloon. After 

 satisfying themselves of the truth of this, Mr. Pink 

 jogged his companion, saying, " Neighbour, I think 

 Mr. White is not so far gone as you and I thought 

 him ! " 



Living in a neighbourhood where the roads were 

 so bad Gilbert White was ever interested in road- 



