18 LETTERS TO HIS BROTHER 



LETTER VII. 



Selborne, Nov. 2 [1773]. 



I CANNOT deny that I did receive your letter while at Oxford; 

 but then my short time was so totally taken up with the 

 accounts, and the common room, and a little visiting, that I 

 never had the resolution to sit down to a regular letter. 



Just before I came away, Skinner came up from a twelve- 

 month's sojourning at Brecknock to a regular residence in 

 college : he made me dine and sup and spend the whole day 

 with him, and is the same chatty, communicative, intelligent, 

 gouty, indolent mortal that he used to be. Moreover he had 

 written me a long letter ! just before I saw him ; which 

 arrived at Selborne some posts after I got home. He is now 

 first oars with regard to college preferment ; and provided 

 Dr. Patten should die (who is in a very dangerous way), he 

 will succeed to a living of more than 400 per annum. 



Jack did not go with me to college; for I well knew that if 

 he had I could not have been with him one tenth of the time; 

 however by means of his old friends at the Vicarage and at 

 Newton he was left very little with the servants. We are to 

 set out on Monday next on a visit to Eingmer; and nep. Pen. 

 who is visiting with his father and mother and sisters, is to 

 accompany us. We intend to stay two Sundays. Last week 

 I began taking away the earth of my grass plot and walk at 

 my garden door, so as to destroy the two steps^ and to level 

 the ground quite on to the alcove. We were much inter- 

 rupted at first by rain, but now go on swimmingly. When 

 completed the job will be tanti; and the nuisance of two 

 slippery steps removed. 



And now as to my visit into Lancashire : I am very desi- 

 rous, as indeed I ought, to make you a visit. But this cannot 

 be brought about 'til after Christmas ; for in the first place 

 our journey to Sussex will take up half the space between 

 this and that, and in the next place I am hampered with a 

 breaking tenant at Greatham whom I want to remove before 



