268 LETTERS TO GILBBBT WHITE 



at his Heels, without the Fears, the Jirks, the Shrieks of 

 Honoria, feeling the twitching Ghosts, tho* but in Imagination. 

 I am horribly provoked ; for Curiosity as well as Afifection draw 

 me towards You : and Mrs Mulso, hearing of practicable Egress 

 & Regress, remits her Apprehensions of toalking to Selborne, & 

 would be very glad to wait on You : As to my Girls, the Thought 

 of it is a Banquet. Thomas saw Mr Young & Miss, wth little 

 Miss Rivers, whom they carried to Town, at Alton. Mrs 

 Chapone & Bror Ned have been wth Us since, but they are All 

 gone ; & Mrs Davies comes to Us Today upon her annual Visit, 

 to break the Length of our Evenings by her neighbourly Chat. 

 We have some Thoughts of the Notts coming over, who are got 

 to Winchester fm Town. And Oh ! how unlike is ye Visit of 

 Bloxham & Attorney Knott, who came on Money Affairs, to the 

 elegant Attendance of Mr Grimm, who came to perpetuate Scenes 

 80 dear to You ? Your's is a Life of Virtu, and Mine of carking 

 k caring. 



Tho' I am not particular for my Attention to public Affairs, 

 yet I cannot but feel a little Quid-nunc-ish now at this formid- 

 able Instant of Expectation. So vast a Consequence as seems 

 opening from it ! Such a Doubt whether God will be pleased to 

 colour it wth Black or White for this Nation ! to make Us of 

 great or of little weight hereafter in the Scale of Kingdoms 1 A 

 Noble governing Empire, or a little, jealous, defensive State I 

 — perhaps a Province ! — . . . O my Children I — . . . .* 



I have certainly Something Shandean in my Constitution; 

 for even in the Midst of Tragedizing upon ye Above Thought, 

 which is really serious enough to absorp one a good deal, & create 

 solemn Reflexion, I cannot for ye Soul of me but think of Major 

 Holmes; and when I hear People haranguing & oratorical on 

 public Occasions I always seem to hear that odd Mortal . . . 

 •' if such a Ship is taken, conclude that the poor Major is no 

 More ! 1 1"— 



We have had a most deplorable Season 'till within these few 

 Days ; they have been good ; & even my Sister Chapone walked 

 out bravely. My Nectarines & Peaches are without Flavour, or 

 in ye Gall of Bitterness; & the Esculents have not their due 

 Taste. Yet how dare I complain, when even the Bishop with 

 his thick wall'd & shelter'd Garden is in the same Predicament ? 

 But what then ? ye Cabriolet is come from the Queen, wth a 

 very obliging, gracious, & easy Letter under the King's own 

 Hand. This sweetens All again. 



I am sorry to hear of Ld North's accident ; for to my own 

 Knowledge, a Man is woefully disinclined to Business by a 

 broken Limb. 



• No doubt the news of the American Declaration of Independence 

 produced this passage. 



