UR'AL, HI5TC 



LETTER I 



[The " Letters to Pennant," with which Gilbert White commenced his 

 volume on the " Natural History of Selborne," were never really addressed 

 to that gentleman, but were evidently interpolated for the purpose of 

 forming an introduction to the actual correspondence, so as to give some 

 idea of the characteristics of Selborne and the surrounding country. The 

 first letter absolutely sent to Pennant was ' Letter X ' of the ' Natural 

 History,' as we learn from the original MS. letters now preserved in 

 the British Museum. R. B. S.] 



TO THOMAS PENNANT, ESQ. 



THE parish of Selborne l lies in the extreme eastern corner 

 of the county of Hampshire, bordering on the county of 

 Sussex, and not far from the county of Surrey; is about 

 fifty miles south-west of London, in latitude 51, and 

 near midway between the towns of Alton and Petersfield. 

 Being very large and extensive it abuts on twelve parishes, 

 two of which are in Sussex, viz., Trotton and Rogate. If 

 you begin from the south and proceed westward, the 

 adjacent parishes are Emshot, 2 Newton Valence, Faringdon, 



1 For remarks on the etymology of Selborne see Letter II of the 'Antiquities.' 

 [R. B. S.] 



2 Professor Bell (pp. I, 2) gives some interesting notes on the names of the 

 parishes mentioned by Gilbert White. Of Empshott he pronounces the etymology 

 to be very obscure ; in Domesday Book it is spelt Hibisete. How it has come 

 to be called Empshott Bell was unable to discover, but sete has been changed to 

 shott in many cases which he quotes, such as Campessete to Kempshott, &c. 

 Newton Valence is written Newentone in Domesday Book, and ' took its name 



A 



