268 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1793 



" [May] 29. Brother Benj" and Mrs. White, and Mary 

 White, and Miss Mary Barker came. 



"June 2. Bro. Benj" and I measured my tall beech 

 in Sparrow's hanger, which, at 5 ft. from the ground, girths 

 6 ft. 1 inch, and three quarters. 



"[June] 7. Mrs. Clement and children came.' 



"[June] 14. Mr. John Mulso* came. 



" [June] 15. Mr. J. Mulso left us." 



The following letter written on this day (June 

 15th), probably the last ever written to anyone by 

 Gilbert White, concludes his correspondence with 

 Marsham ; which, interesting as it is to all naturalists, 

 is especially interesting to admirers of the Selborne 

 Naturalist as showing that he retained to the very 

 close of his life as fresh an intellect, and wrote with 

 as keen a relish as ever upon his favourite subject : — 



To B. Marsham. Selborne, June 15th, 1793. 



Dear Sir, — From my long silence you will conclude that 

 Procrastination has been at work and perhaps not without 

 reason. But that is not all the cause : for I have been 

 annoyed this spring with a bad nervous cough, and a 

 wandering gout, that have pulled me down very much, and 

 rendered me very languid, and indolent. 



As you love trees, and to hear about trees, you will not 

 be displeased, when you are told that your old friend the 

 great Oak in the Holt forest is, at this very instant, under 

 particular circumstances. For a brother of mine, a man of 

 Virtu, who rents Lord Stawell's beautiful seat near the 

 Holt, called Mareland, is at this very juncture employing 



* The Rev. John Mulso, Vicar of South Stoneham, near Southampton ; 

 the eldest son of Gilbert White's old friend John Mulso, Canon of Winchester. 



