212 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



Letter 129. 



To the Eevd Mr White, Witney. 



at Selborne near Alton, Hampshire. July 26, 1768. 



Dear Gil : 



I received your very obliging Letter of July 12, but I 

 have had no great Inclination to answer it as yet, since I could 

 not have told you of much Health & Happiness or Diversion of 

 my Household, but meerly the Satisfaction of our being together. 

 I have myself been very poorly with my old Complaints, my 

 Sister Mulso kept her Eoom many Days wth a violent Rash, 

 my Sister Chapone had a violent Cold, my Brother not quite 

 right, besides the perpetual Imprisonment from the stormy 

 Weather, which prevented all Attempts of Excursions. 



My Brother & Sister Mulso & Miss Shutter left us on Fryday 

 last, to go to Streatly. The Doctor there has, I find, made 

 an Exchange of his Wiltshire Living for Beaconsfield. My 

 Sister Chapone is with us, & not the better for the close 

 Weather, which has of late come to a Height & then ended in 

 strong Storms of Thunder & Lightning wth Deluges of Rain. My 

 little Portion of Hay is spoilt, tho' it cost me above 2 Guineas 

 to get it in. My Sister Chapone is to stay wth Us 'till Mr 

 Burrows has settled himself down at his Living near Southamp- 

 ton, & then he is to cross the Country and come hither to fetch 

 her to see it. If he does not. She will stay wth Us 'till ye Time 

 that the London Birds congregate in their Winter Habitations. 



I long to know your Determination about Cholderton ; Dr 

 Bentham was of opinion that You would take it. He talked 

 something of the Vicinity of it to Harry, as if he might avail 

 himself of your Curacy, or be at Hand to take the Parish Duties. 

 How comes it to pass that You, who want to make Selborne 

 your Residence, are afraid of a Living where your Residence 

 would not be required? This is one of those Paradoxes in 

 which you have always delighted. For it does not follow that 

 you may not visit your Parishioners very often, tho' you do 

 not inhabit the Village ; and that is more than you did at 

 Moreton Pinkney. If you once make your Living your Resi- 

 dence, fa-rewell poor Selborne ! Not that I am at all sollicitous 

 about your taking the present Thing, if you have a good Prospect 

 of the Principal Object* of your Expectations : It is certain that 

 you can very well wait, if it would tally at last, & be a Gainer 

 instead of a Loser. As I cannot therefore judge for you or guess 

 at your Decision, I long to have it from Yourself. 



As to your seeing Us at Selborne this Year, I do presume it 

 will not happen. Indeed it does not follow that tho' I cannot 

 leave my family this year, that I never may be able hereafter ; 



* The Berkshire living of Uf ton Nerrett in the gift of Oriel College. 



