102 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



subscribe to the End of it, but human Nature steps in & grows 

 rebellious now & then. I have read Dr Young's Centaur, it 

 help'd to give me a bad Night, it is like the rest of his Works, 

 has great Piety & bold thoughts, but they are too bold, & magnis 

 excidit Ausis. I cannot reconcile Myself to his Style in any of 

 his Works ; He means well, but will do but little good : The 

 i-eading part of the World pique themselves upon their Beason, 

 & will not accept of a pious Flight for sound Reasoning. There 

 is a good deal of Liveliness & some wit in the Doctor, & great 

 Vivacity for a Man of fourscore. 



I wish Health & Happiness to You and your Friends. You 

 will, I know, expect me to give some Account of my own. My 

 Father & Sister are just returned to Town fm Canterbury : my 

 Father is set out for Bath, he is pretty well for Him but has 

 a dreadfull Cough. My Aunt Thomas & Miss Thomas have been 

 at Bath a week, my Aunt has long had a great Complaint at her 

 Stomach & Sukey in her Head. The Bishop has feavourish 

 Heats, & as he never opens a window or Door gives Himself 

 many unnecessary chances of bad Health, which, thank God, 

 he has not naturally. Tom & Pressy are in Town & pretty well. 

 Ned is at present in Essex, he has but poor Health, &, manages 

 that very poorly. Mr. Young, wth whom I live, is much broken 

 & feeble, but has no particular Complaint. His Daughter weighs 

 about three Times as much as She did when You saw her last, 

 & her acquaintance who have been some Time absent, generally 

 look at her Waste and make Conjectures which, alack & alass ! 

 are not true ones. But She is much yours & desires not to grow 

 out of your Knowledge & Friendship. Nothing will properly 

 reduce her but being taken down i ^ her wedding Throes, whicli 

 I hope in God I shall soon do. 



Tell me how your Hopes about your Bro: Harry stand. I 

 know Nothing of your London Brothers. Tell me of your Father, 

 Uncle & Friends : I hear the Provost is pretty well. Has Dr 

 Bentham a child yet & has he got it syllogistically ; I suppose 

 his wife hints, debes Servare terminos. 



I am, dear Gil ; Afiftely Yours, 



J. M. 



Letter 56. 



Sunbury, 



Deer 6, 1765. 

 Dear Gil : 



You have given me a great Temptation to send you Franks, 

 by promising that You would write longer Lrs. But the Bishop 

 is as stingy of his Franks, as old Hunkses will now be of Portugal 

 Gold. It is wth great Difficulty that I can squeeze out two or 



