LETTEB CXXV 207 



Letter 125. 



To the Reverend Mr White, Witney. 



at Selborne near Alton, Hants. Deer 7, 1767. 



Dear Gil : 



I am glad to find by Your's, that you got safe home, from 

 which place I order'd you to send me an Account of your 

 Journey & safe arrival very soon ; as You did not obey me, 

 I was afraid that, as Horace says, You had made a false Step 

 & broke my Commandment. I wish you Joy of ye good Success 

 of your Nephews and Nieces in ye Inoculation Scheme : I wish 

 my children were as well thro' it ; but We have made no 

 Determinations yet about it, tho' your Account has very much 

 prejudiced Mrs Mulso in it's Favour. John Bosworth asked me 

 if I knew your Inclinations about ye College Living, but I told 

 him it was impossible to give him any Satisfaction as I was sure 

 that you had not made your own Choice. I collect from hence 

 either that Bosworth will take it if You do not, or that he 

 interests himself for Parfect.* I shall soon know, because ye 

 College will have your Answer, for as ye old Song says " Christ- 

 mas is a Coming." I am sorry that you quarrell wth our Eoads, 

 because it will be one Argument agst a Gloucestershire Living. 

 But Dr Blackstone has carried his Point to have our Bridle 

 Road under his Direction to be enlarged & made a Part of his 

 Turnpike ; so We shall have Another Road for You. He wanted 

 to set up a temporary Toll upon Magdalen Bridge, under 

 Pretence of widening the Eastern End of it, & opening ye 

 Entrance of Sfc. Clement's, but in fact to put Money in his Purse 

 for ye new projected Road to us; but he was defeated in that 

 Design. My Horses have been ill with the generall Infection ; 

 That which you rode was very near dying; my own Mare 

 cough'd, but it went no farther ; I had taken Blood from them 

 about a Week before they caught ye Distemper. They are both 

 well now. We have ye same miserable Weather that you 

 complain of, & I have not been out to course since you left me ; 

 indeed the Imployment is mournfuU enough as We have no 

 Plenty of Game. But I have been on Horseback pretty often : 

 I suppose our Farmers have been put back in their sowing ; but 

 as they must now have got an Opportunity, I do not think that 

 they will be much Sufferers by That. I have gone no farther 

 in my affair of letting my Tythes. I wish Mr Etty Success in 

 his Pursuit. Poor Mrs Chaloner Ogle has lost her eldest 

 Daughter ; it is a very severe Stroke to her ; but her Fortitude 

 seems unconquerable. Her Misfortunes have enlarg'd her Mind, 

 & sweet'ned her Disposition, & Reflexion has made her courag- 



* John Parfect, elected Fellow of Oriel, 1747. 



