X 
SELBORNE. 
To the left of the Hanger, there is the contour of the naked 
part of Selborne Hill. A road winds round the extremity of 
this ; and there are various foot-paths and zig-zags, even on the 
steepest parts, some of which are inclined at an angle of fifty 
or even forty-five degrees from the horizon, and yet it is not long 
since an adventurous horseman dashed down at full speed without 
sustaining the slightest injury. 
The two or three trees which appear against the sky are a few 
stragglers of the high wood, the. trees upon which are scattered 
and stunted compared with those on the Hanger ; but the place 
affords sweet though not rich pasturage ; and the villagers have a 
cricket-ground on the summit, in one of the finest situations im- 
aginable for that hearty and healthy rural exercise. Nore Hill ap- 
pears to one's left, and with it the sketch terminates. There is 
not a deep and abrupt valley between this and Selborne Hill, but 
rather a sort of saddle, though the evening light, throwing a 
shadow upon Selborne Hill and a light immediately behind it, 
produces the same effect as if the one hill actually cut upon the 
other. Nore Hill is fine in its outline ; and there is something 
particularly natural in the wood upon it. That wood fades off 
into small bushes toward the upper common, and also in great 
part along the lower margin ; while the trees become larger, are 
closer together, and have a bolder outline upon the abrupt slope 
of the hill eastwards. 
Such are the principal localities of Selborne as at first seen 
from the Alton foot-path ; and, though there are many places not 
visible which are in themselves highly beautiful, yet this is per- 
haps the best of any as a general sketch upon which, as a tablet 
of artificial memory, to fix the details of what still remains, as well 
as to bring the others more clearly to the mind of the reader, or 
guide the visitor in surveying to the greatest advantage this 
classic ground of British natural history. 
This view does not continue long ; for, though Selborne appears 
to lie in a valley, it does not do so in fact, for it is rather on an ele- 
vation. The grounds sloping down from the Hanger are, toward 
the north at least, lower than that upon which the principal part 
of the town stands, and the church and vicarage stand on the 
brow of a steep acclivity, bearing some resemblance in elevation 
and in form to a mud-fort of the largest dimensions. After 
crossing the deep lane to Alton, the descent is rapid, so that the 
back-ground soon becomes concealed ; and, were it not for Sel- 
