INTRODUCTION. 



The first mention of the Correspondence between Gilbert 

 White of Selborne and John Mulso, that I have been able to 

 discover, occurs in "a short biography " of the naturalist written 

 by Mr. Edward Jesse for Sir William Jardine's edition of the 

 "Selborne" published in 1850. Mr. Jesse, after stating that 

 Mrs. Chapone's brother, John Mulso, was White's "most inti- 

 mate friend," continues "and between them a most interesting 

 " and amusing series of letters took place. These letters would 

 " have been well worth publishing, and it was intended that this 

 " should be done ; but when Mr. Mulso's son was applied to for 

 " Mr. White's correspondence, the mortifying answer was re- 

 " turned that they had all been destroyed. Mr. Mulso's letters 

 " we understand are still remaining." 



The letters from Mulso came into the possession of John 

 White, the publisher, a nephew of the naturalist. From him 

 they passed to his son, the late Eevd. John Tahourdin White, 

 D.D., long a master at Christ's Hospital, and well known as a 

 scholar and classical editor, who at one time proposed to publish 

 them. For this reason he declined to lend them to Mr. Bell, 

 who, when compiling his important edition of W^hite's book, 

 borrowed much MS. from other members of the family. Dr. 

 John White, however, died some years ago without having 

 carried out his intention ; the letters then became the property 

 of the present Earl of Stamford, a descendant of Gilbert White's 

 youngest brother Henry, and at his instance they are now 

 published. 



John Mulso's father, Thomas Mulso, b. 1695, was the only 

 son of the representative of the ancient family of Mulso, or 

 Moulshoe as it was formerly spelt, which had been established 

 in Northamptonshire since before the reign of Edward I. Of 

 what was once a very considerable landed estate Thomas Mulso 

 possessed only the remains, which included a large Elizabethian 

 house, standing (until 1832 when it was pulled down) on the 

 north side of the church, at Twywell in the above county. At 

 the date of the commencement of John Mulso's letters in 1744, 

 his father, who held the office of Clerk of Assizes, had been 



