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PREFACE. 



GILBERT WHITE was the eldest son of John White, 

 of Selborne, Esq. and of Anna, the daughter of the 

 Ilev. Thomas Holt, rector of Streatham in Surrey. He 

 was born at Selborne, on July 18, 1720, and received 

 his school education at Basingstoke, under the Rev. 

 Thomas Warton, vicar of that place, and father of 

 those two distinguished literary characters, Dr Joseph 

 Warton, master of Winchester school, and Mr Thomas 

 Warton, poetry professor at Oxford. He was admitted 

 at Oriel College, Oxford, in December, 1739, and took 

 his degree of Bachelor of Arts in June, 1743. In March, 

 1744, he was elected Fellow of his College. He became 

 Master of Arts in October, 1746, and was admitted one 

 of the senior Proctors of the University in April, 1752. 

 Being of an unambitious temper, and strongly attached to 

 the charms of rural scenery, he early fixed his residence 

 in his native village, where he spent the greater part of 



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