202 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



be wth You this Summer, you will hear the more about Us, 

 tho' possibly not so much immediately from Us. In the latter 

 Part of the Year I shall expect You. When your own Nest 

 is empty, You will be more glad to take a Flight to a new 

 Habitation. 



Vegetation thrives apace now, & I suppose You are quite 

 intent upon your new Study:* You will not perhaps relish 

 a Prospect the worse when we force you to look up, as I 

 presume You will go wth your Eyes fixed on ye Ground most 

 Part of the Summer. You will pass wth the Country Folks 

 as a Man always making of Sermons, while you are only con- 

 sidering a weed. I thank you for your learned Dissertation on 

 the Canker or Sti7ik pot. I knew in general that all Flesh was 

 Grass, but I did not know that Grass was Flesh before. 



I beg my Comps. to the Ladies that are wth You. I called 

 on Benjamin & made my Inquiries after the Branches of your 

 family, but have had no Time to call on Mrs Woods, Benjn 

 was in much Concern about Jack, but I hope it is now cleared up. 



I know we shall have your good wishes for a safe Journey. 

 It will not be very long before I shall write to you & hear I hope 

 from You. 



I am ever, Dear Gil, Afftely Your's, 



J. Mulso. 



Apl. 27. Eeturned to London. 



Bror & Sister Mulso's best Services, they cannot set the 

 Date of their Coming, but hope to keep to the Time proposed. 

 Dr Stebbing has his Choice of the Living wish'd for, so Miss 

 Littleton will be married soon, we suppose. 



Letter 12 L 



Thornhill, 



July 3, 1766. 

 Dear Gil : 



In vain I called for your wishes of a safe Journey into 

 Yorkshire, in vain I called for Congratulations upon our safe 

 arrival at our own Home : nothing can force a Letter out of You. 



* At this time Gilbert White was making a serious study of botany, com- 

 posing with almost daily entries, month by month, during this year, what 

 he termed " Floba Selbobhiensis, with some coincidences of the coming 

 and departure of birds of passage and insects ; and the appearing of reptiles 

 for the year 1766." "The Plants are according to Mr. Bay's method : and 

 the Birds according to Mr. Willoughby's ornithology ; the Insects according 

 to Mr. Ray's ' Hist. Insect ' ; and the Reptiles according to Ray's * Synopsis 

 Animalmm Quadrupedum.' " This MS. which is contained in 61 quarto 

 pages, has never been published. It may be regarded as the first idea of 

 a natural history of his native parish, which was afterwards superseded by his 

 correspondence with Pennant, commenced in the following year (1767). 



