260 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1793 



off this Session, but, I fear, it will be revived the next. 

 Mr. F. told me that, upon enquiry, he finds that the major 

 part of the copyholders at Selborne are very poor, which 

 alone would make him very cautious. This alone sufficiently 

 convinces me of his Motive. I wished to have waited on 

 you to have personally informed you of the above, but could 

 not find time during my last short visit in Hampshire. I 

 beg my respects to Mrs. White, and 



I am, J)^ Sir, 

 Your very obliged and affectionate Nephew, 



James White. 



The writer of the above letter subsequently 

 entered the army, and died a captain in the 82nd 

 Eegiment, in 1796, at Port-au-Prince, S. Domingo. 

 That the inclosure scheme would be resented and 

 resisted by Gilbert White is certain ; and he may 

 be supposed to have had other grounds than that 

 of the resulting expence, mentioned in the letter 

 next printed ; an inference which is confirmed by 

 the following entry made in 1789 by him in one 

 of the Selborne Church Kegisters : — 



" Be it remembered that there had been from time imme- 

 morial an undisputed bridle road from the east corner of 

 the north field, across Bushy plot and along the south end 

 of Norton mead and the north end of Yfremead, and across 

 the seven acres into the hollow stony lane leading to 

 Norton farm — till about the year 1770, when Sir Simeon 

 Stuart at the instance of farmer Young, then his tenant 

 at Norton farm, ordered the abovesaid road to be shut 

 up and so deprived the neighbourhood of the advantage 

 of that way : but now, in 1787, Mr. Hammond senior, 



