270 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1793 



begin to be solicitous about their plantations. Here I shall 

 presume to correct (with all due deference) an expression 

 of the great philosopher D"^ Derham. He says in his 

 Physico-theology " that all cold summers are wet": whereas 

 he should have said most. 



Have You seen Arthur Young's ' Example of France a 

 warning to England ' ? it is a spirited performance. The 

 season with us is unhealthy. 



With true esteem, 



I remain, Y*" obliged servant, 



Gil. White. 

 The letter ends with ominous words. 



Saturday, June 15th, is the last day on which any 

 observation occurs in the Journal, though the days 

 of the month were filled up for the following week 

 ending June 22nd. 



On June 10th the Curate of Selborne had been 

 well enough to officiate at the funeral of a young 

 girl ; when, as in the case of the last entries in the 

 Journal, there is little or no sign of illness to be 

 seen in the handwriting of the record in the burial 

 register. 



It became necessary, however, to send for Mr. 

 Webb, the doctor at Alton, on June 17th, and from 

 this date he visited his patient every day ; finding 

 him, according to Mr. Bell's account, which was 

 apparently made on the authority of a nephew 

 of the Naturalist, in much suffering, borne with 

 exemplary patience, and with the consolations of 

 religion. That there was some pain during the 

 closing days is confirmed by the occurrence of 



