Vill INTRODUCTORY SKETCH. 
shown four generations how and what to observe — in fact, he 
taught them the ‘ Art of Observation.’ For the above reason, 
therefore, White’s ‘Selborne’ has held its own as a standard 
book for a hundred years, and will probably be as fresh as 
ever a hundred years hence. 
‘““We live in a beautiful and happy world ; the waters teem 
with life, the earth is populated by creatures innumerable : 
some live on the mountains, some on the plains, some in the 
forest, some in the desert ; to observe the habits of all living 
things that came under his notice was White’s delight; and 
rest assured that if we — like White — love animals (commonly 
called dumb because we cannot understand their language), we 
shall never experience the feeling of solitude.” 
Of the details of the life of Gilbert White we know little. 
Nor is it specially necessary that we should, his work, like that 
of all great men, being his life. To an edition of his “Sel- 
borne” published in 1802, his brother John appended a short 
biographical sketch of the author, and we cannot do better 
than quote here the particulars he there gave. 
“ Gilbert White was the eldest son of John White of Selborne, 
Esq., and of Anne, the daughter of Thomas Holt, rector of 
Streatham in Surrey. He was born at Selborne on July 18th, 
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 as 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 
