36 LETTEES TO HIS BROTHER 



next edition of his ( Syst. Nat. : ' say to him in your next, 

 " orna me." 



I cannot procure a grass-hopper lark. They are such shy, 

 skulking varlets; such troglodytes, such hedge-creepers, there 

 is no knowing where to have them. When a good oppor- 

 tunity offers, I will send the drawings to town. Poor Nanny 

 White of Fleet Street is in a very declining way. Happening 

 to meet Mr. Edm. Woods lately at Newton, I pressed him 

 very earnestly to lend his assistance in looking out a master 

 for Jack. He promises to do his best, and is a likely man 

 to forward such a business. You must read Lord 



Chesterfield's letters ; they are very entertaining, though in 

 parts very exceptionable. 



Bear is a sort of barley : Mr. P.f should have told his 

 readers as much in a note. Mr. and Mrs. Lort are now on a 

 tour round N. Wales. Mr. Leech has lost his cause with 

 respect to the lead-mines, and stands obliged to refund all his 

 gains. Molly White must lose her share, of course. Niece 

 Molly joins in respects 



Your loving brother, 



GIL. WHITE. 



I am mending my tiling and pointing against winter. A 

 stitch in my side makes writing irksome. 



LETTER XVII. 



Selborne, Sept. 26, 1774. 

 DEAR BROTHER, 



SOME years ago, when I met Sam Barker at Ringmer, I found 

 he had some propensity to poetry, tho' it had not then been 

 called forth. I therefore gave him a few instructions, and 

 this summer sent him some old verses, on Selborne, new fur- 

 bished up J. These small encouragements have occasioned the 

 lines above, which Jack transcribes for your amusement. By 

 all means recollect the specific difference, or else get new spe- 



t [Pennant?] 



J [The f Invitation to Selborne.' See the Poems at the end of Vol. I. 

 T. B.] 



