The Natural History of Selborne 251 



fruits of the earth, and discoloured and blighted our wheat. The 

 crop of hops promises to be very large. 



Frequent returns of deafness incommode me sadly, and half dis- 

 qualify me for a naturalist ; for when those fits are upon me, I lose 

 all the pleasing notices and little intimations arising from rural 

 sounds; and May is to me as silent and mute with respect to the 

 notes of birds, &c., as August. My eyesight is, thank God, quick 

 and good; but with respect to the other sense, I am, at times, 

 disabled : 



"And Wisdom at one entrance quite shut out." 



