LETTER XXV 43 



Sc lives just enough wth Mr Baker to make Him fret at his 

 ifreedom ; & often ventures upon late & expensive Schemes 

 because He is sure of a Bed at his own House and need not 

 wake bis Brother. You have a large Fund of Diversions in Him, 

 & yet He is worth admiration too. He has an honest Heart, 

 but a Head furnish'd like a Masquerade, where for one just 

 Figure which strikes You, there are a hundred grotesque & 

 monstrous Ones, which weary or disgust You. I expect You to 

 set your own Time for coming to these Scenes. Give me timely 

 Warning, because I shall soon now begin my Journies to Town, 

 & I will adapt my Scheme to Your's. 



A Misfortune in your own Family, which perhaps will better 

 suit a Conversation than a Letter, & which I am grieved for, I 

 might never have known, but for a Visit which I had from Myers, 

 who let me into a little Oxford news. I should be glad to know 

 how the Author of it is to be disposed of.* 



My Sister & ye Family are got into the Acquaintance of 

 Eichardson ye Author of Pamela & Clarissa, in which they take 

 great Delight, for the Man is a Sort of an Original for Goodness 

 & Sensibility. He has got a new Plan to work upon, so that 

 we may hope for more Eeason to admire Him. She has likewise 

 ye Acquaintance of Miss Carter of Deal,t a surprizing woman. 

 Mistress of most Languages, & of a noble Vein for Poetry, her 

 attempts that way being wonderfully classic, correct, and mas- 

 culine. In short we have many new Subjects & Objects for 

 You, but our Hearts are the same, among which, mine is 



Dear Gil, Affectionately Your's, 

 Comps. to Mr White &c : Bradly &c. J. M. 



Letter 25. 



To the Reverend Mr White King Square Court, 



Fellow of Oriel Coll : Oxford. Dec : 13, 1750. 



Dear Gil: 



I had enquired of You of Benjamin in my last Visit to 

 Town, but hearing that You was well I was eased of much 

 Disquiet, which your Silence, rather longer than usual, had 

 given me. I had some Hopes that you would have surprized 

 me wth a Visit, 'till I was told that your Brother was wth You, 

 & was to return in your Company to Selbourne. I heartily wish 

 your Sister much Happiness in her new State : with her cheerful 

 & easy Temper She will be ye best wife in the world to Mr. 



* Gilbert White's brother John had been recently expelled from C.C.C., 

 Oxford, for disorderly conduct. In later life he entirely redeemed his character, 

 t Elizabeth Carter (1717-1806) the well-known literary character. 



