40 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



my Taste disagreable & coursely executed. The rest of ye House 

 quite unfurnished. The Thing is worth going to see, but when 

 You are there the best natured Man in England could not help 

 finding five hundred Faults. The Country about is very noble, 

 fine Woods, Meadows, Streams, neighbouring Parks & Seats, & 

 a fertile Glebe, loamy & clayish, which makes ye Koads bad & ye 

 Farmers fat. Mr Cook's (ye Member for ye County^ is a pretty 

 Garden for a private Gentleman, well situated, but chiefly famous 

 for a Statue (which to any Taste is ye only bad Thing there) 

 of a spewing Man, who feeds two very fine Canals wth water 

 from ye River which is a quarter of a Mile lower. There is a 

 Statue of a Maid in a Pond near ye House which is well enough, 

 wrincing a piece of Linnen out of which ye water runs very 

 naturally. But why do I tell You of these indifferent Things 

 who see all ye Beauties of England, who see those whose 

 Grandeur exceeds all ye Power of Art, ye natural Beauties & 

 wonders of this Land? I wish Myself with You, tho' I should 

 be a sad Incumbrance, for I have not activity & Spirits for these 

 great Schemes. I should be glad to see my good Friend Wells at 

 his own Table, or at mine. I desire my kind Remembrance to 

 Him & my good wishes for his & his Family's Prosperity. 



I hope you will write a Poem & call it ye Progress, describing 

 your own Rambles. It would make a fine Piece, & might 

 tempt Gentlemen to examine their own Country before they 

 went abroad & brought Home a genteel Disgust at ye Thoughts 

 of England. 



My Father (who is wth me) desires his Civilities to You : 

 (ye fashionable Phrase) He met with a hearty Reception from 

 Dean Cotes at Shrewsbury, who has married a rich widow & lives 

 in a very pretty Place & Manner. What a lucky man is Bgerton 

 to be Dean of Hereford at his Time of Life I Did I tell You that 

 poor Mrs Clark of long Ditton is distracted, and her Husband in 

 a very dangerous Way, and ye poor old Doctor inconsoleable at 

 these great Strokes. I am very sorry, but not much surprized ; 

 for there was deep Discontent written in her Face ; and Mr. 

 Clark unhappily fond of Fame and entirely careless of his 

 Health. My Father sets out in a Day or two for Canterbury 

 to fetch Home that great Stranger Miss Hecky : She has a 

 Design upon ye poor Vicar, & talks of careering about with 

 Yfhiiibus, who She says heightens & improves all Parties; 

 whether there is any particular Hint of Improvement by ye 

 Termination She is pleased to give to your Name, You best 

 know : as to me, I never see those Things, because I do as I 

 would be done by ; so You best know ye Meaning of your new 

 Name, & whether it is a fond abbreviation of your Oxford Title 

 of Busser. I have not seen Pressy (who is in Town) since I 

 received Your's. She will be sorry for your Disappointment & 



