22 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



You, from whence I conclude the same of Mr "White &c : Miss 

 Heck bites her nails for want of Russel, & adds to that ye 

 scratching of the Head as a Composer. Her Sermon has been 

 long finish'd, but She does not yet know how or where to send it. 

 I beleive it will come like farthing newspapers in Franks, & be as 

 dull as the Story which is told by Piecemeal at ye Beginning of 

 them. But as Franks are not yet to be got, so I desire You 

 would in ye mean Time walk fast up to your Uncle's Field, which 

 if I remember is up hill ; do this frequently, & perhaps you may 

 get Breath to compass ye Periods. Now are You impatient to 

 know ye Text, the Division, the — but you shall know Nothing of 

 ye Matter. When we last sent to Whiston's there was nothing 

 there, so Heck thanks you very kindly, but She does not know 

 for what : we can hardly suspect You of sending Ehenish, but 

 at present it tasts very like it. As to me, I shall never forget ye 

 Obligation I have to* but whether I am oblig'd to your 



Uncle or who else for ye four Sermons You preach'd, I cannot 

 tell ; but I desire to know that I may discharge my Conscience 

 of Suspicion. Don't forget my Instruction about Breath, & fling 

 Stones into ye well that is haunted with a Sound & repeat Homer 

 in ye midst of ye Clatter. Get Breath classically & lose it un- 

 orthodoxly. Let me hear from You as often as You can : Bale of 

 New Coll : who is going to make a vacancy for a Living in Bed- 

 fordshire tells me that poor Tomkyns is in a Consumption & likely 

 to die of it, & that he thinks so himself in Spite of ye Flattery of 

 that Distemper. Our Compliments attend You and Your's. 

 I am dear Gil : Your's affectionately 



J. M. 



Letter 15. 



To the Eeverend Mr G. White Sunbury 



at Selbourne near Alton Hants. Septr 25, 1749. 



Dear Gil : 



I very heartily thank You & your good Family for all 

 their Favours at Selbourne & Bradly ; & am sorry that I could 

 not make one more Visit at the last Place, and that our Jaunts 

 would Dot allow us more Time than just to pack up my Totum 

 Nil & be gone from a Set of People who were every way agreable 

 to me. 



I suppose you expect some account of me after our Parting. 

 If You take my Journey from Selbourne, it was perform'd by 

 four different Vehicles, a Horse, a Chaise, a Stage Coach, & a 

 Chair. I left You in Bed at Alton & got (after having seen in ye 

 Kitchen ye miserable Remains of a Set of Dogs who made my 



* Letter imperfect. 



