64 LETTKRS TO GILBERT WHITE 



business pretty well, & I know you will love me for riding. Ned 

 will be wth Me in ye Holidays ; Cannot You fly up these Holi- 

 days ? I shd be quite glad to see You. 



I hope all Friends at Oriell & in Hampshire are well. I see 

 Benjamin is march'd over the Way at last & Whiston has taken 

 the Courage to repair his House ; Indeed there was more Occa- 

 sion for it to live in the old One. I don't observe that he has 

 enlarged it at all. If you can spare time fm your charge I shd 

 be glad to see You. In ye meantime I wish You ye Comps. of 

 the Season & many Eeturns of happy Years. 



I am dear Gil, Afftely Yours, 



J. Mulso. 



Letter 35. 



Sunbury, 



Janry 27, 1753. 

 Dear Gil : 



As Nothing can be more judicious, so nothing can be more 

 generous than your Revenge. You take the noblest method of 

 reproaching, by returning Good for Evil, & your Reproof is indeed 

 that of a Friend, making a Benefit of a Punishment ; I do not 

 intend to deserve it again, but when I do, shall be ready to kiss 

 the Rod. 



I have great Ideas, but I suppose not adequate, of your famous 

 Zigzag ;♦ but I intend not to strain my Fancy ; that being the 

 farther distant from ye real Greatness of the work, I may enjoy 

 the Surprize ye more. But why do I say enjoy ? I do not even 

 foresee a Visit to Selbourne. I fancy I shall like the Alteration 

 of your Hill, better than the alteration of your Verse ; for unless 

 by ye Difficulty of getting thro' the One, you would signify the 

 Labour of climbing up the other, (which is a wrong to the very 

 Design) I do not think the Crassitude & 1 impediments of the Line 

 compensated even by the Descriptiveness of it. Yet I have sunk 

 my Sentiments about it at London, & have sent it without a 

 Comment to expel! a better Verse. 



I wish I was in Cash to send You a Commission to fit me 

 wth a Horse ; no Man knows me better than Yourself : I would 

 part wth mine, if I could find one like her, bating her Lameness. 

 To say Truth, tho' I think a lame Horse better than None, yet it 

 is a little tedious to limp on without Hope : Yesterday She gave 

 me a Fall over her Head ; You know I am an Adept in falling, &, 

 as usual, got no Hurt ; yet I seriously thank God for it, for this 

 hard Weather it is no small Providence to escape so well, espe- 



* About this time the Zigzag path up Selborne Hanger was made by 

 John White with the asaistanoe of labourers. 



