68 LETTERS TO GILBEBT WHITB 



green Retreats) of Selbourne afford more serious Pleasure to 

 your contemplative Mind than ye frequentis Plausus Theatri can 

 to your Ambition. I have a longing Desire to see You in your 

 new Station ; but then I want to bring in each Hand a Girl ; for 

 the quantum fieri potest per mare is not wth You quantum fieri 

 debet. How prettily would they adjust ye Sleeve, & give a more 

 rakish Air than suits the Academic Form, how would they admire 

 ye Tuft, & how would they fancy the Flap ! I dare not indulge 

 the Thoughts of bringing them ; it is a Sort of Treason to ye 

 Male Laws of the University ; & what is yet worse, it is a Scheme 

 that is more aerial than probable ; & like Crambe's Idea of your 

 logical Definition of Substantia — substat Accidentihus. 



I have had a great Cold which made me very ill in Town, & 

 created so great Compassion in those Girls You wot of, that Heck 

 & Missy resolved to take a Post Chaise & come to nurse me at 

 Sunbury. They came last Saturday Sen'night & left me last Fry- 

 day. And how did they wish that Mr Proctor White was here 

 wth them ! & I heartily joined the wish. The weather was so 

 tempestuous that we were greatly confined at home. But we 

 exercised at Battledor & Shuttlecock, & read Pope &c : longing 

 for your Indicative finger to point out the Beauties, tho' it affronts 

 our Judgement by preventing it. I attended them to Town on 

 Fryday, & brought down Ned* in their room ; Ned is much at 

 your Service & desires You should know as much. I don't know 

 when I can expect You here, because I don't know whether even 

 ye long Vacation is a Vacation to You. But as I am but an 

 Afternoon's Ride from You, I hope You will let me see You when 

 You can. 



Mr Young & his Daughter will I beleive soon go down to 

 Portsmouth to take Leave of Captn & Mrs Young & their Family 

 who setting but soon for new England for 3 Years & a half. 

 The Captain takes that young Son of Mrs Hubert's, who You was 

 kind to at Portsmouth, wth Him. This Scheme of their's (tho' I 

 cannot disapprove the Motives) displeases Me in it's Conse- 

 quences ; for it will be an Objection to a second expensive 

 Scheme of Pleasure. But perhaps this Intention which gives 

 Me so much pleasure in it's distant View may not be so agreable 

 to You : & perhaps of all Years this is that in which You might 

 be least glad of our Company. And I must own ii would have 

 an odd Sound, when the Provost sends to know what Noise that 

 is in his College at One in ye Morning, to have Him answer'd, 

 " Sr it is ye Proctor, wth two Girls, & ye mad Parson of Sun- 

 bury." So, see You to it. 



My Church goes on very well. We have been obliged to some 

 few alterations, which have mended it greatly ; & I think it will 



* His brother Edward. 



