114 LETTBR8 TO GILBERT WHITE 



gave a good account of You. I concluded therefore that the 

 mornings were spent in Riding, and the Afternoons in Burnet's 

 Hystory of the Reformation ; and I had two Pictures of You 

 before my Eyes ; one was the Scene of Dr Bristowe's Parlour,* 

 «t the other your own : In the first You was a solitary Figure, 

 & as hard at it as Duns Scotus ; in the other I had represented 

 the very pleasing Figure of Miss "White, with some Housewifery 

 in her Hand, & giving now & then an agreable Interruption to 

 your Labours. Harry was cast into the shade ; & it was doubtfull 

 whether he was studying or no; but this Confusedness of my 

 Ideas was owing to his being so perverse as not to confirm his 

 Image in my Imagination when I was in Hampshire. 



Tho' We are not confined to Home as yet, we are a great deal 

 more so than we used to be. I read Rapin to Mr Y. & my Wife 

 from Tea Time to Supper : By this Method I entertain them, 

 & refresh my Memory in a usefull Way. My Father Mulbo was 

 to have been of our Party, but he has not yet recovered a violent 

 Eruption upon his Face, from which he has sufifered a great deal, 

 but from which we hope a great deal of Benefit. Mrs Mulso 

 desires her sincere Thanks to You & Your's for your good 

 Wishes, & for your good opinion of her. As I am chiefly inclined 

 to the young Woman, I am somewhat of your Opinion in the good 

 Thoughts that You have of her. I thank God She is a very 

 good Way & looks as well as ever. Lady Musgrave being brought 

 to Bed (of another Girl) has made her easy on the Score of her 

 Nurse who attends my Lady, k will now be at her Service. But 

 We are both off our Speed about Exercise : She walks very little, 

 k I have not been on any Horse since my poor honest Mouse, of 

 whose Accident I was sorry to liear ; Tom who is more imaginative 

 than I am, & insists upon the Word Reason to Brutes, would 

 have enter'd into your Horse's Disappointment as well as your 

 own on that Occasion. I am glad that You got to some Success 

 at last at Oriel, & I wish You Joy of Tiles and Thatch. You 

 who can make £20 go further than I can £40 have a pretty little 

 Increase by this Curacy. Nothing has as yet happened in my 

 Favour any where, hut I hear Nothing of Mr O.'s refunding the 

 Sack. Another Thing was tried for in Lieu, but without Success; 

 however it was no Disappointment to me, because This was not 

 in the Power of my Friends as Bremble was. I am glad you are 

 so well at the Grange & that my Lord is so open wth You.-f- 

 If Expectation makes the Blessing dear, You & I are like to 



* Gilbert White was curate in charge of Selbome for the second time, and 

 was living at the Vicarage. 



t Robert Henley (1708-1772), Ist Earl of Northington, Lord Keeper, and 

 subsequently Lord Chancellor, lived at the Grange near Alresford, Hants. 

 He was a friend of the White family and in 1763 was applied to unsuccess- 

 fully by Gilbert White for a living which was in his private patronage. 



