74 LETTERS TO GILBBET WHITE 



Prevention, it is more than I can bear after one of my Fits, & 

 indeed the Weather has been too severe to do any thing but 

 walk. You absolutely forbid me to sell my Horse ; but will You 

 ensure my Neck ? She has made some very low Bows of late, 

 and as I do not ride wth Security, so I must own wth little 

 Pleasure. Yet I ride from Town by my Self, & without Stopping, 

 tho' I came the last Time the King's Eoad & Kingston Way, 

 which I take to be the longest. I was but 3 Hours and a half 

 from Door to Door. I was overtaken by the Duke of New- 

 Castle, but He You know has run ahead all His Life Time. 



It is a Fortnight Since I was in Town. I have been there 

 but once this Winter. The Small Pox is a good deal in my 

 Parish & I find a Difficulty in getting aid, if wanted, to bury 

 those who die of that Distemper. I was at no gay Places while 

 in Town, for my Grandmother Mulso lay dead at Canterbury 

 all that week. My Father & two Brothers attended her into 

 Northamptonshire, and are safe returned. Ned is in a very 

 poor way. We fear ye Stone, or some bad Case on his Kidneys. 

 He suffers great Sicknesses & Pains ; You will be sorry for the 

 honest Lad. I do not know when I shall go to Town ; Miss 

 Young has a Visitor who usurps ray Bed ; but I will send Ned 

 word about the Song, & get Him to send it, I suppose it will lie 

 in a Frank. 



Hubert has been some time gone to Bath, where You may 

 write to Him, & possibly he may send You an Order to employ 

 a Messenger to fetch down his Horses, which I suppose would 

 hardly be delivered but to a written Order of his Own. I cannot 

 do any Thing in it 'till I hear of Him, & I suppose He would take 

 it as a Favour to receive a Lr from You, to know more particulars 

 of Place & Persons, where the Horses are to be kept. 



If I could get Time to make You a ♦ isit, I should be as much 

 to seek for a Conveyance as ever, for I would by no Means 

 venture to ride my own Mare in your Hampshire. I fancy it 

 would be but a vain Compliment to invite You hither, & therefore 

 spare it. You know the Sight of You does me good. I write 

 from my noble Eoom as You term it ; Alass, while I am solitary 

 in it, it is but a mausoleum to a poor piece of Mortality I Yet I 

 hope for better Times. 



I have some Expectation that the Monument, for which I 

 am to have almost Fourty Pounds, clear, will be put up in ye 

 Summer. I shall be glad of it as an Ornament to ye Church, 

 as well as a private Convenience. Sr John Chardin promises — 

 omnia magna — but will I beleive give £50 towards new Bells. 

 Mr Dolben who called in upon Me the other Day oiBfer'd very 

 genteelly 5 Guineas towards them of his own Accord. Our 

 Clock is not yet up. I was four Hours with Sr John Chardin 

 at Knightsbridge, & heard as much proud Humility expressed as 



