CORRESPONDENCE WITH HIS FAMILY. 163 



been as yet a very bad one; for his time has been so taken up 

 AY i tli various courtships that he has never been at home yet for 

 10 days together. He marries, I think, in June, but first 

 keeps another term at Oxford. 



All my apricots were cut off by that violent weather in the 

 middle of March ! So deep was the snow, and so starved the 

 birds, that the poor ring-doves came into our garden to crop 

 the leaves and sprouts of the cabbages 1 Kay is become very 

 scarce and dear indeed ! My rick is now almost as slender as 

 the waste of a. virgin : and it would have been much for the 

 reputation of the two last brides that I have married, had 

 their wastes been as slender. We have just covered the dirty 

 part of the bostal with small flints. The first swallow that I 

 heard of was on April 6 th , the first nightingale on Ap. 13 th . 

 The great straddle-bob Orion, that in the winter seems to 

 bestride my brewhouse, is seen now descending of an evening, 

 one side foremost, behind the hanger. The almanack an- 

 nounces Venus to be an evening star ; but I have not seen 

 her yet. 



Miss Etty is not so well as could be wished: she is low and 

 languid, and often short-breathed. Miss Lay ton of Alton, 

 Mr. Charles Efty's niece, is lately dead. Mrs. J. Wh. and I 

 thank your mother for her kind letters : the former will write 

 soon. We think Mrs. Taylor an agreeable woman. I am, 

 with all due respects, 



Your affect, uncle, 



GIL. WHITE. 



LETTER XLIV. 



TO SAMUEL BARKER. 



Seleburne, Aug. 1, 1780. 



DEAR SIR, 



As you know I am fond of the history of various countries, 

 and in particular love to study and compare climates ; it was 



M 2 



