92 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



My Father is in Northamptonshire & pretty well. My Friends 

 who are in Town are some well, some ill, but I hope None 

 dangerously. I am glad Mr White is in so good a Way, I don't 

 care whether You apply the name to your Father or Uncle, for 

 I wish well to both, but indeed meant your Father by it. 



I have given your Complts to Aldridge who was here wth 

 Me this Morning; Yet we have not reformed our Ideas of your 

 six Gates, which we conceive to be pretty but to sound oddly 

 in Description : We take them to belong to Fields which thro' 

 an Opening are seen in Perspective, One above Another, yet not 

 so as to join ; & the Image itself is not ridiculous in our Minds, 

 but new to our Observations. I wish You well to wear your 

 Doeskin Breeches, & should be glad if my Rams could keep you 

 Company, especially if they would travel a little in Middlesex ; 

 the Duke of Argyle's Garden is a Winter Beauty : & Scott of 

 Weybridge's Pinery is I suppose a Curiosity, for his Bills are 

 adorned wth a Print which makes them Curiosities in their Way. 

 Mr and Mrs Hubert are at present here, they talk of making 

 Sunbury their Winter Residence ; I believe Mrs Hubert will lie 

 in here. But there must be Excursions for their volatile Geniuses. 

 — I have been writing so long, that I cannot manage my Hand. 

 We have had an Inundation of Rain, but the Farmers do not 

 think too much. The Distemper amongst the Cattle is got into 

 ye Hamlet of Charlton in my Parish, & has been at Walton some 

 time. Everything is cruelly dear here, & a partial Evil will make 

 a general Gain to our out-throat Tradesfolk. I am in Hast to 

 dine at Keiuton Park. I have not been yet to Town : how good ? 

 nor have seen Miss Y. for above a Month : a goodly Reformation 

 towards, but I shall be in Town next week, I fancy, so if You 

 have anything to say about a Horse, decisive, say it quickly. My 

 Complts to your Hosts & love to All friends. 



I am, dear Gil, Afftely Your's, 

 J. Mulso. 



Letter 61. 



Sunbury, 



Dec. 30, 1764. 

 Dear Gil : 



I dare not look back upon the Date of your last Letter, it 

 is a Reproach which I would willingly spare Myself. Not that 

 I have forgot You in this long Interval, but that I have not been 

 provoked to write to You by any Incident that would mark out 

 any Pleasure for You. I indulged Myself lately at Mr Hubert's, 

 who winters wth Us, in talking of You, & I had no Occasion to 

 exert my Rhetoric to gain You favour ; You was spoken of in a 

 very handsome Manner by Mr Hubert's Family, & Phil desired 



