The Natural History of Selborne

Meadows not cut.  Nymphaea lutea in bloom in a watry ditch.  Went to see the village of Compton, where my father lived more than sixty years ago, & where seven of his children were born.  The people of the village remember nothing of our family.  Mr. Fulham’s conservatory richly furnished; & the grounds behind his house engaging, & elegant.  The romantic grounds, & paddock at the west end Godalming town are very bold & striking.  The hanging woods very solemn, & grand; & many of the trees of great age & dimensions.  This place was for many years inhabited by General Oglethrope.  The house is now under a general repair being with it’s grounds the property of Mr Godbold a quack Doctor.  The vale & hanging woods round Godalming are very beautiful: the Wey a sweet river, & becomes navigable at this town.  One branch of the Wey rises at Selborne.  At the entrance to the avenue leading to Bramshot-place are three great, hollow oaks, the largest of which measure 21 feet in girth.  We measure this tree at about 5 feet from the ground, & could not come at it lower on account of a dr stone-wall in which it stands.  We measure also the largest Sycamore in the front of the house, & found the girth to be 13.  They are very tall, & are deemed to be 80 feet in height: but I should suppose they do not exceed 74 feet.  I hear much of trees 80 or 90 feet high; but have never measured anay that exceed the supposed height of the Sycamores above.