New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-01-21


portrait has ever keen discovered, one testimony
OUT Of many 10 The modest secIusiveness of the
Bsuushire parson- Born in 1920 and dying in
1898. he lived a long life which could easily have
embraced wide experience OF the world-if he
had cared for the r-orId- He was an Oxford man
"a Fellow Of Oriel-and his famous book justi-
fes over and over again the remark made by
The late Grant Allen in his introduction to this
edition that he was a man Of highly competent
education. a good classical scholar, also
E nan Of great general erudition' Momentous
things were happening IN his time. The span
OF his life covered some Of the salient events
ana movements Of the eighteenth century in
England and on the Continent. He had some
private means. as shown by his ability to neglect
the curacies to which he was appointed. BY
his culture and his circumstances he was fitted
TO busy himself with the affairs OF men. He
preferred 70 settle in SeIborne, his birthplace a
village which is today more OF less sequestered
and entirely tranquil, and in his time was Of
course infinitely more remote. His house is still
standing
The back opens cut upon a spacious lawn and
garden, sloping up toward the Hanger. and
wooded with fine old trees, some Of them doubt
less Il Gilbert Whites own planting. Here the
easy minded Fellow Of Oriel and curate Of Far
i1Econ could sit II his rustic chair all day long,
and observe The birds and beasts as they dropped
II 10 visit him. The Letters the vivid picture
O. q lie SO paSSed-the lie OF 2 quiet WelI-t0-
do comparatively UnOccupied gentleman of Gull
tEared manners ard scientific tastes. studying
nature at his ease in his own domain untroubIed
~ trains, by kilograms, by duns by domestic
worries; amply satisfied TO give up ten years Of
his life 10 settling some question Of CTnithO-
logical detail. and well pleased If in the end his
conclusions are + rtunate enough 10 meet the
approval Of the learned Mr.. Pennant or the
Ingenious M: Darlington
H had no thought Of seeking the approval Of
g wider audience. He did not publish until four
years before his death and although the sug-
gestions Of his two correspondents caused him
to contemplate an appearance in print before that
time and led him 10 modify his style, neither
the more formal letters nor the chapters which
he prepared as Introductory 10 the whole dis
close any really artificial traits. He made liter
azure without meaning 70 do so. POsterity has
rewarded his modesty The Natural History"
has been reprinted almost annually during the
century Of its existence. No less than four new
editions have appeared ID one year. Of all these
editions that now under consideration is the one
% which il is Just 10 award the palm. Merely
IL Is form. typography and manufacture il is
beautiful book The illustrations are perfect;
artistic II style. and dedicated with so much
sympathy 10 such well chosen subjects that they
offer Of theUselv1s a source OF delight. Finally,
me introduction and notes show that thor
oughly suitable editor was found IN MI Allen.
He knew and loved not only Whites book. but
e hit='s country. I have lived myself ne says,
for some years II Whites own country. looking
out daily upon S=lBOrne and upon Wolmer For
est The same ponds have flashed in the sunlight
on my eyes, the same beasts and birds and in
sects nave darteo before ne" He might have
added thai 10 rhe sensitive reader the nnerest
rautle through Whites old environment is 4
KIND Of initiation The front Of his old house
The Wakes strikes no more than ordinarily
picturesque note IL the village street but every
wl-ra else the atmosphere Is full Of the special
charm hich he communicated to his pages. To
climb The famous zigzag; 70 wander idly along
the Ly-he, beneath some Of the nOblest copper
beeches in the world, 10 seek the old Priory by
the sold path OF by soft meadows into which
yoU sink above your ankles is TO find that you
can, without effort, do as Mr.. Allen advises,