ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 303 



July 1678. Richard By field, who left eighty pounds by will, the 

 interest to be applied to apprentice out poor children ; but this 

 money, lent on private security, was in danger of being lost, and 

 the bequest remained in an unsettled state for near twenty years, 

 till 1700 ; so that little or no advantage was derived from it. About 

 the year 1759 ^ was again in the utmost danger by the failure of a 

 borrower ; but, by prudent management, has since been raised to 

 one hundred pounds stock in the three per cents reduced. The 

 trustees are the vicar and the renters or owners of Temple, Priory, 

 Grange, Blackmore, and Oakhanger-house, for the time being. 

 This gentleman seemed inclined to have put the vicarial premises 

 in a comfortable state ; and began by building a solid stone wal 1 

 round the front court, and another in the lower yard, between tha* 

 and the neighbouring garden ; but was interrupted by death from 

 fulfilling his laudable intentions. 



April, 1680, Barnabas Long became vicar. 



June, 1681. This living was now in such low estimation in Mag- 

 dalen College that it descended to a junior fellow, Gilbert White, 

 M.A., who was instituted to it in the thirty-first year of his age. At 

 his first coming he ceiled the chancel, and also floored and wain- 

 scoted the parlour and hall, which before were paved with stone 

 and had nakedj walls ; he enlarged the kitchen and brewhouse, 

 and dug a cellar and well ; he also built a large new barn in the 

 lower yard, removed the hovels in the front court, which he laid out 

 in walks and borders ; and entirely planned the back garden, before 

 a rude field with a stone-pit in the midst of it. By his will he gave 

 and bequeathed " the sum of forty pounds to be laid out in the 

 most necessary repairs of the church ; that is in strengthening and 

 securing such parts as seem decaying and dangerous." With this 

 sum two large buttresses were erected to support the east end of 

 the south wall of the church ; and the gable-end wall of the west end 

 of the south aisle was new built from the ground. 



By his will also he gave " One hundred pounds to be laid out on 

 lands ; the yearly rents whereof shall be employed in teaching the 

 poor children of Selbourn parish to read and write, and say their 

 prayers and catechism, and to sew and knit ; and be under the 

 direction of his executrix as long as she lives; and, after her, under 

 the direction of such of his children and their issue, as shall live in 

 or within five miles of the said parish ; and on failure of any such, 

 then under the direction of the vicar of Selbourn for the time being ; 

 but still to the uses above-named." With this sum was purchased, 



