224 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



And now, my good old friend, I have only to wish that God 

 would grant us a safe & happy Meeting ; for I look forward to 

 your Selbournian Scenes with great Pleasure, after a long Absence 

 from them. 



I have found an old Frank in a Bundle of Thornhill Papers 

 directed by Sr George Savile ; You will wonder why I did not 

 sooner employ it, if I give no Account of it : or perhaps You 

 think that I have lately seen him. Indeed, to my great borrow, 

 I have not : I look upon it as an Hiatus valde deflendus in a very 

 valuable Connexion. 



I have now wth me My Brother Young & Niece ; my Brother 

 Ned from London : My Brother & Sister Mulso from Bath, in 

 their way to Beaconsfield ; These last leave me on Tuesday ; 

 when the others go I know not ; but my Brother Ned will not 

 stir 'till we do, & sets out for London the same Day and thence 

 to Essex. So You see that we have been in ye grand Family 

 Way for some Time. My sister Mulso is much restored by the 

 Bath Waters, but nevertheless is a very weak & emaciated 

 Figure ; I tremble for the Effects of London upon her, when She 

 is obliged to return, & the Severity of Winter. She is very lively 

 here, & my Brother stout & hale. All here join in best Compli- 

 ments to You. I will here close my first Part wth an Assurance 

 that I am, 



Dear Gil, Ever Afftely Your's, 



J. M. 



P. S. The Information that I receive by our Carrier is that 

 the Odiham waggon puts up at the White Swan at Helbourne 

 Bridge, & the Bookkeeper's Name is Stevenson. So we shall 

 send off our Cargo tomorrow to be so transferred, & to be left at 

 the Swann at Alton. So it will reach You next Saturday, if your 

 Neighbour will be so good as to claim it for Us. My Wife has 

 been very ill all yesterday & all Night wth a Pain in her Stomach 

 & Bowells, but I shall call in Mr Batt to her Aid presently, 

 finding Rhubarb has not removed it. 



Adieu jusqu' au revoir. 



Letter 137. 



To the Revd Mr Gilbert White, Witney, 



at Fifield near Andover, Hampshire. Sepr 16, 1770. 



Dear Gil : 



I would have written to you last Night, by which means 

 You would have had this a Post sooner, but I really was not able. 

 I brought home a very bad Cold, & I was obliged to write to my 

 Aunt Thomas by Candle light, which fatigued my Head & Eyes. 

 That I might keep my Promise however of writing soon, I begin 

 today, tho' This will not set out 'till Tuesday by the _common 



