4 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



it at Hearn, a Sight which I have often been oblig'd by you with 

 a Description of, & now find ye justness of your Description ; I 

 had no opportunity of going to Deal & Dover, which Shakespear 

 gave me a Desire of seeing. I began a great many Acquaintances 

 at Canterbury, which is ye most disagreable part of them, & 

 was forc'd to leave them pretty abruptly ; but ye Ladies there 

 are insufferably handsome, I never met in one place such an 

 Assembly of Beauties, I believe I saved my Heart by ye beauti- 

 full Confusion, I could justly say defendit numerus. I was 

 vastly diverted at your Account of your Danger in that way, I 

 hope you dont find ye arrow in your Side yet. I should not 

 forget to tell you that I met Sayer at ye Concert & at the Coffee 

 house, who ask'd after you & all friends : He has invited me to 

 dine with Him, but He lives a great way off ye Abbey, & I have 

 not much stomach to it. I have seen some pretty good Pictures 

 since I have been out, but why do I mention Pictures to you 

 who have seen Burleigh : * I met with Peck's Books at ye 

 Library at Canterbury, who recounts the Curiosities of that 

 place, & I diverted myself a good while one morning with 

 reading them. My mother loves you so much that I am almost 

 jealous of You ; She says you speak her very Sentiment in your 

 Judgement of ye Odyssy. She thanks you for your Advice to me, 

 & I suppose now I am return'd to Leeds, I shall be forc'd to 

 mount pretty often, & desert my dear corner. I don't find at 

 present any great Propensity to Poetry, & I find that a great 

 Deal of ye Inspiration that Poets talk of, is owing to ye Company 

 that they are with, & not to ye nine Muses & ye whispers of 

 Apollo ; I have not seen a verse since I left You, nor hardly 

 heard one quoted, so that I am not incited to it. You know I 

 love Company & Gayety, & I believe the Eeturn to this dull place 

 would have made me hang myself, if we had not brought back 

 with us a little Company from Canterbury ; like you, & Falstaff, 

 I hate Compulsion, and I am sure I stay here against my will. 

 I am shock'd at ye Thought that I was not in London when 

 you was there. My mother will be glad to see you there, & you 

 know ye sight of you is a Constant pleasure 



to Yours &c : 



J. Mulso. 



Burleigh House, near Stamford. 



