280 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 



These pages will have been written to little 

 purpose if they have not made abundantly evident 

 the affection which Gilbert White bore to his native 

 village. Indeed, the same may be said of his 

 brothers, though circumstances sent them early afield. 

 Thomas, as soon as he was enabled, by the inherit- 

 ance of a considerable property, to retire from 

 business in 1777, constantly visited at Selborne ; 

 where, as has been mentioned, he acquired pro- 

 perty. His copy of his brother's book, which has 

 descended to his great-grandson, the writer of this 

 memoir, has printed across its cover the following 

 quotation from Guarini's ' II Pastor Fido,' act ii. 

 sc. 5 : — 



"CAKE SELVE BEATE, 

 E VOI SOLINGHI E TACITURNI ORRORI, 

 DI RIPOSO, E DI PACE ALBERGHI VERI. 



QUANTO VOLONTIERI 



A RIVEDERVI I TORNO." 



"Dear happy groves, the true abode of solitary and silent 

 awe, of repose and peace. how willingly would I return 

 to see you again ! " 



Benjamin, as has been seen, came to reside in 

 the neighbourhood of his old home ; and Henry, 

 who created a duplicate of some of the Selborne 

 amenities for himself at Fyfield, was often at Sel- 

 borne, his native place. 



Nor has Selborne forgotten the man who made 

 her name a household word. 



Many memorials to her Historian are there to 



