xxii A SHOUT BIOGRAPHY or 



DEAR BROTHER, 



As I have often heard Sir S. Stuart say, that if he had 

 his timber to sell over again he could sell it for 500. or 6001. 

 more than he made of it : and as men seldom have much 

 timber to sell a second time, you should, I think, retain Mr. 

 Hounsom as your counsel, and make use of his superior judgment 

 before you bargain. I hope you will find 4,000 worth of trees 

 that are ripe on your estate, and that sum will help much 

 towards your younger children's fortunes. 



As the blotted will is in the testator's own handwriting, I fear 

 that circumstance will go much against us. Our uncle, Francis 

 White, of Baliol Coll., left three imperfect wills in his own hand- 

 writing, much interlined with a pencil, and in strange confusion 

 and obscurity ; but as the parties chiefly concerned were Alder- 

 man White and our Grandfather of the Vicarage, they were so 

 wise and moderate as to let law alone, and to settle matters by 

 reference : so the lawyers were bit. 



By all means, when you are more settled, begin laying in a 

 fund of materials for the Nat. Hist, and Antiquities of this 

 county. You are now at a time of life when judgment is mature, 

 and when you have not lost that activity of body necessary for 

 such pursuits. You must afford us good engravings to your 

 work, and carry about an artist to the remarkable places. In 

 many respects you will easily beat Plot : he is too credulous 

 sometimes trifling, and sometimes superstitious ; and at all times 

 ready tt) make a needless display and ostentation of erudition. 

 Your knowledge of physic, chemistry, anatomy, and botany, will 

 greatly avail you. The sameness of soil in this county will prove 

 to your disadvantage ; while the variety of stuff is prodigious ; 

 coal, lead, copper, salt, marble, alabaster, fuller's earth, potters' 

 clay, pipe-clay, iron, marl, &c. while we in general have nought 

 but chalk. But then you must get Benj. to write abroad for 

 the treatise De creta, and make the most of it, as it is so little 

 known. Bp. Tanner will be of vast use for the religious houses. 

 It is to be lamented that Plot was prevented by death from going 

 on, for he improves vastly in his second Hist., which greatly 

 exceeds his "Oxfordshire." We have, you know, an actual Survey 



