222 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



to London, & are now set down at Selborne, thinking before 

 hand on the Trouble that You have cut out for Yourself in 

 receiving me & my family for a Month at your House. If You 

 are not terrified at the Apprehension, & hold your Mind, I must 

 tell that there are those here that are impatient for the Date 

 of this Visit's being settled. I determined in my own Mind to 

 set out for Selborne on Monday tbe 6th of August ; & I must 

 wait to know your Acquiescence with this Date. My Brother 

 Will Young & my Niece Sukey are wth me, & I have desired 

 them to fix their stay according to ye Term of your Acceptance of 

 Us. Ned Mulso has wrote me Word from London that he will 

 come from Town on July 11th to Us, & that He could stay 'till 

 the 13 of Augst, but I have sent him word that I purpose to set 

 out on the 6th which is the first Monday in August, if You do 

 not disapprove of it. 



The Summer is so bad that we have constant Fires ; I there- 

 fore expect, as when Things are at worst they mend of Course, 

 that the autumnal Part of the Year will be fine. Now the hottest 

 Weather does not misbecome Selborne ; the cold Season does. 

 And I had as lieve be from home in the hot Weather, & take my 

 Ease, & hear Somebody besides Myself & Mr Hoskins ; therefore 

 if it suits You, I preferr coming to You at the Time I have men- 

 tioned : It is possible that We may hitch-in a short Visit at 

 Farnham in our Return from You, & therefore chuse to have fine 

 Weather & longer days than can come to our share later in the 

 Year. All this is at your Option & I shall desire You to send 

 me an Answer very soon, because if You deferr Us, I shall 

 lengthen Ned's Tether, & let him know it, that he may have the 

 stronger Temptation to come to us. 



Now as the dear Creatures always have large Bundles, & as 

 My Daughter encreases in Bulk, we must send Goods by the 

 Waggon, for no Post Chaise could take Us in wth great Boxes 

 & Trunks. So You must send us Word how we are to make 

 Waggons meet to convey our Cloaths to you. Our Waggon gets 

 to Town on Wednesday Noon or Morn : Have You one that Our 

 Fardel can be turned over to ? In short. You must make Us 

 very clear about this material Point. 



My Brother & Sister Mulso are at Bath, but I have not heard 

 how they go on lately. She was better when we heard last. 

 You have got your Bishop into your Diocese. I am afraid that 

 Mrs Thomas is in a poor Way. I hope that You & all friends are 

 in good Health. Dr Bentham & Lady & 2 children, after long 

 deferring, have done me at last the Honour of a Visit ; the Doctor 

 was very obliging as usual : But They did not come 'till late, & 

 we were afraid that They would not have come at all, & began 

 to be really uneasy, as no Messages came, & the Day was 

 tolerable. They had been hind'red at Oxford by Company. 



