GILBERT WHITE IE 



share, White could never reconcile himself to the 

 thought of leaving Selborne. Once, indeed, when the 

 provostship of Oriel was vacant, he became a candidate 

 for the post, but failed to be elected. After this dis- 

 appointment he seems to have finally decided to remain 

 at Selborne ; though, as his friend Mulso's letters re- 

 veal, there was occasionally a flutter of excitement 

 when some valuable piece of College preferment fell 

 vacant. However, at Selborne he remained, retaining 

 his Fellowship and also the College living of Moreton 

 Pinkney, in Northamptonshire, which, after the manner 

 of the age, was served by a curate ; while White him- 

 self took clerical duty in the vicinity of his own home, 

 first in the neighbouring village of Farringdon, which 

 he served for twenty-five years, and afterwards in his 

 own parish of Selborne. The routine of duty was 

 regularly varied by visits to his relatives in Sussex, 

 Rutlandshire, and London, and by his annual visit 

 to Oxford. These journeys were mostly undertaken 

 on horseback his friend Mulso calls him a " hussar- 

 parson" as it appears White suffered much from 

 what was called " stage-coach sickness." 



Many are the details of domestic economy that we 

 gather from the naturalist's letters, especially from 

 those to his "dear niece Molly," only daughter of 

 brother Thomas, of South Lambeth. He is constantly 

 asking her to do little commissions for him in London 

 a pound of coffee, half-a-pound of soft sealing-wax, 

 two or three quires of small writing-paper, or a " pound 

 of Mr. Todd's 145. green tea." Or he asks her to pur- 

 chase him "a good large ham," and to send it down 

 by coach. The journey to Selborne was not always 

 accomplished without danger. " My ham," writes 

 Gilbert White, "came safe, but had a great escape; 



