72 THE MUSIC OF WILD FLOWERS 



friend. He was, we learn, "ill, very ill," in the month 

 of June, and his general condition was " very bad " ; but 

 as the summer advanced he mended and talked much of 

 going out partridge-shooting over the glebe in September. 

 But the following winter was a long and trying one. 

 The great frost occurred when at Selborne White lost 

 all his " laurustines, bays, ilexes, arbutuses, cypresses, 

 and even his Portugal laurels and his fine sloping laurel 

 hedge were scorched up." The cold proved too much 

 for the ailing vicar, who passed away early in 1785, and 

 was buried within his church at Newton Valence, where 

 a tablet to his memory may be seen. It was some 

 consolation to our naturalist that his nephew, Edmund 

 White, succeeded Mr Yalden at the vicarage, where a 

 barometer adjusted by Gilbert White is still carefully 

 preserved. 



On the verge of the Common, overlooking the village 

 of Selborne, a break in the beech-trees, now in the 

 splendour of their autumn colouring, reveals the house 

 where White lived, lying some three hundred feet below, 

 with the church just beyond it. The church tower is 

 mantled with Virginia creeper, which shows a bright 

 patch of crimson on the landscape. iJght years after 

 the death of Mr Yalden, White followed his friend to 

 the grave. But holding ' ' the custom of burying within 

 the body of the church" to be an improper one, he 

 was buried, in accordance with the instructions of his 

 will, "in the churchyard in as plain and private a 

 way as possible, without any pall-bearers or parade." 

 " Six honest day labouring men " carried him to his 

 grave on the north side of the chancel, to whom he 

 left " the sum of ten shillings each for their trouble." 

 Very peaceful did the village appear as I gazed upon 



