208 CORRESPONDENCE OF GILBERT WHITE 



LETTER VIII. 



MARSHAM TO WHITE. 



Stratton: July 8. 91. 



1791. 



DEAR SIR, 



MY thanks are justly due to you for the favour of your pleas- 

 ing letter of the 8 th of June *. If i am not the wiser for every 

 letter of yours, 'tis my own fault, or want of memory. In 

 not seeing Hurstmonceux, you lost not only the sight of the 

 tall Beeches &c. in the park, but also one of the most entire 

 old Castles in England. I find by my notes, 'tis 77 of my 

 steps (suppose yards) long, & 72 deep. & the moat 20 yards 

 broad. The great staircase 40 feet square, and 22 back stairs, 

 so like each other, that i chalked my door, to prevent my 

 going into rooms that i should not ; they being 48 on a floor 

 as my friend told me. Your letter made me look over my old 

 journal, which i believe i had not done of 50 years, & i find 

 no mention of Beeches in Italy; nor does my memory supply 

 me with any. I remember some in Switzerland near Bern, 

 that were mixed with Firs, that i think were very tall but not 

 large. The poplars in Lombardy, are lost to my memory, & 

 are not mentioned in my journal : but in the public walks by 

 Florence a part was felled, & i find some were above 100 feet 

 long, & very slender. I greatly dislike the Tree in England. 

 I noticed a wood of Oakes betwixt Rome & Naples, being 

 very tall but not large, and the leaf more indented than ours. 

 So i send you a leaf. 



I am obliged to you for engaging your Nephew at Salis- 

 bury to gain intelligence of M r Archer's Oakes: but i believe 

 'tis unnecessary. A friend was with me lately, to whom i 

 told the account. He said he had been at M r Archer's, & 

 " remembers some Trees by his house, which appeared nothing 

 " extraordinary; like some of your best." Now my best was 



* [This letter is missing. T. B.] 



