1792 



LAST VISIT TO OXFORD 243 



fall, as, I know, would delight you much. There is an 

 Hirundo hiherna, that comes to Gibraltar in October and 

 departs in March ; and abounds in and about the garrison 

 the winter thro'. 



On April 4tli Gilbert White went to Oxford. All his 

 life he had had little reason to complain of his health, 

 which appears to have been excellent ; and there is 

 nothing to show that he had any reason to suppose 

 that, when he returned to Selborne on April 17th, he 

 had said good-bye to the common-room at Oriel for 

 the last time. Such was, however, the case, since in 

 the following spring he was not well enough to leave 

 home for Oxford. 



In May, 1792, he received a visit from his niece, 

 Mrs. B. White, junr., and her son Tom, and in July 

 the Provost of Oriel and Mrs. Eveleigh came. 

 Mr. Churton came again at this time. 



To R Marsham. Selborne, Augst. 7, 1792. 



Dear Sir, — While all the young people of this neighbour- 

 hood are gone madding this morning to the great last day's 

 review at Bagshot ; I am sitting soberly down to write to 

 my friend in Norfolk ; almost forgetting, now I am old, the 

 impulse that young men feel to run after new sights ; and 

 that I myself, in the year 1756, set-off with a party at two 

 o' the clock in the morning to see the Hessian troops re- 

 viewed on a down near Winchester.* While I was writing 

 the sentence above, my servant, and some neighbours came 

 down from the hill, and told me that they could not only 

 hear the discharges of the ordnance and small arms, and see 



• This journey was made on October 5tli and 6th, 1756, with his brother 

 Benjamin. 



