OF SELBORNE 93 



It will by no means be foreign to the present purpose to add, 

 that I had a relation in this neighbourhood who made it a practice, 

 for a time, whenever he could procure the eggs of a ring-dove, to 

 place them under a pair of doves that were sitting in his own 

 pigeon-house ; hoping thereby, if he could bring about a coalition, 

 to enlarge his breed, and teach his own doves to beat out into 

 the woods and to support themselves by mast : the plan was 

 plausible, but something always interrupted the success ; for 

 though the birds were usually hatched, and sometimes grew to 

 half their size, yet none ever arrived at maturity. I myself have 

 seen these foundlings in their nest displaying a strange ferocity 

 of nature, so as scarcely to bear to be looked at, and snapping 

 with their bills by way of menace. In short, they always died, 

 perhaps for want of proper sustenance : but the owner thought 

 that by their fierce and wild demeanour they frighted their 

 foster-mothers, and so were starved. 



Virgil, as a familiar occurrence, by way of simile, describes a 

 dove haunting the cavern of a rock in such engaging numbers, 

 that I cannot refrain from quoting the passage : and John Dryden 

 has rendered it so happily in our language, that without farther 

 excuse I shall add his translation also. 



1 Qualis spelunca subito commota Columba, 



' Cui domus, et dulces latebroso in pumice nidi, 



' Fertur in arva volans, plausumque exterrita pennis 



' Dat tecto ingentem mox acre lapsa quieto, 



' Radit iter liquidum, celeres neque commovet alas." 1 



1 As when a dove her rocky hold forsakes, 

 ' Rous'd, in a fright her sounding wings she shakes ; 

 1 The cavern rings with clattering : out she flies, 

 4 And leaves her callow care, and cleaves the skies : 

 ' At first she flutters : but at length she springs 

 1 To smoother flight, and shoots upon her wings." 



I am, &c. 



LETTER I. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES HARRINGTON. 



Selborne, June 30, 1769. 

 DEAR SIR, 



WHEN I was in town last month I partly engaged that I would 

 sometime do myself the honour to write to you on the subject of 



, V., 213-7.] 



