LETTEE CXXXI 215 



general Observation, tho' not entirely true in my own particular, 

 to whom Letters from Friends are at all Times & in all places 

 equally agreeable. I am glad to hear that Harry enjoys the 

 Blessing of increasing & multiplying ; for tho' it makes a 

 House strait, it makes it chearfull. This you know, tho' still 

 a Batchelour; for no Man is more free to fill his House than 

 Yourself. Mrs Mulso joins in Thanks for your Invitation to 

 Selbourne ; nobody in ye month of January can well tell what 

 He may do in the Summer. It is Odds, whether when we see 

 you at Easter, we may be able to give a positive answer; & I 

 will not judge by what I feel at present because then I am sure 

 it would not be in Favour of your Eequest. For your old 

 Friends, my dear Gil, have really been very ill in several Ways. 

 As to Mrs Mulso She is still in so weak a way, that the most 

 She can do is to get down to her Parlour ; She made an Effort 

 or two to walk the Length of the Garden, but She was much 

 the Worse for it ; & this is not the Effect of low Spirits, but 

 of a Weakness in her Body, which has held her for these two 

 Months ; & for which all Exercise is extreamly prejudicial. As 

 to Myself, I have had some severe Tryals of late, besides ye 

 seeing my Wife suffer, having had some dreadfuU attacks on 

 my Spirits ; and a Degree of Eheumatism, which has greatly 

 weak'ned my right Arm, & now & then turned upon my Stomach 

 & Head. With regard to Riding, I am now selling my two 

 little Steeds ; I am sure I have not used them nine Times in 

 nine months & I have every Time found it less conducive to my 

 Health ; for what the Nature of my inward weakness is I do 

 not know, but I am not able to bear ye Pain of the Shaking 

 which ye Horse gives me ; so I shall quite abandon that Sort of 

 Exercise. It happens fortunately that I am now situated where 

 it is not so necessary a Conveyance as it was in Yorkshire : But 

 the Affair is determined ; I ride no more. 



I thank God, my children are very well, except my younger 

 Boy who has bad Eyes, but he is lively & stout in other Respects. 

 I have not very lately heard from London ; as to the going 

 thither, it is an Affair not at all settled; nor can any thing 

 of that kind be thought of 'till Mrs Mulso is in a better State 

 of Health. It would give a great addition to the Pleasure of 

 the Scheme to meet You there. 



My Brother has really got Credit by the Publication of his 

 little work ; Dr Bentham sent me a high Commendation of 

 it lately ; at the same Time, a new Publication of his own, 

 selected Funeral Orations, Greek & Latin. His Preface has 

 a great deal of good Sense in it, & that Candour & Humanity 

 which he has always maintained. 



I am not at all surprized at the Pleasure you take in your 

 Pursuits of natural knowledge ; very far from it ; I know nothing 



