270 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



We are pretty well here. The Weather is very fine now, if 

 it will but hold. I have offered my Service to go to attend ye 

 Bishop when he chuses it, but have had no Call; Mr BuUer 

 & his family are at Chelsea. The migration to Farnham must 

 be deferred if not totally laid aside for ye Summer — perhaps, 

 for ever ! 



I desire to hear from You when I get to Meonstoke, & let 

 me into your present State of Health & your Purposes. 



Farewell. 



I am ever, Dear Gil, Afftely Your's, 



J. Mulso. 



P.S. Love &c fm all here, & Comps. to your good 

 Neighbours. 



Letter 172. 

 Eevd Mr White Meonstoke. 



Selbourne near Alton, Hants — Stop at Alton Aug : 19, '77. 

 Dear Gil : 



I know You to be that Sort of Man, who is long in 

 determining upon any Point, but constant to ye Plan established. 

 I have therefore consider'd You for some time as a Man plunged 

 into Mortar. The miserable Summer that we have had must 

 have protracted your Operations ; but of late they have been 

 resumed, as I guess, with some Success. I like the Scheme of 

 Confarreation between your Brother & You;* he is a Man of 

 Sense & Vivacity, and will teach the GoOt to be of Use to You. 

 I am not at all surprized at your Improvement even tho' You 

 had not had the Furtherance of your Brother, for You have been 

 nibbling at it a long Time ; and to say Truth I did not know but 

 that this expatiating Scheme might depend upon Another, & 

 that You was preparing to exhibit to Us Benedict the married 

 Man. I knew such a Venture was too delicate to be explained 

 even to an old Friend, 'till it was quite resolved upon ; & then 

 like Janiiary you would have called your Council about You. 

 I hope it is better as it is : tho' I declare I should have spoken 

 wth Placebo & not wth Justin. 



Let me, however, know how Matters are going wth You ; & 

 whether, if an Opportunity offer'd of my calling upon You, I 

 should have nothing but a Hod for a Hammock. I feel awkward, 

 if a Summer slips by me & I do not see Selborne. 



But (independent of the strange wetness of this Summer, 

 which has already broke up the Land Springs, & which 

 defeated all thought of Excursion, & independent of the Visit 



* Thomas White had purchased some fields behind the house at Selborne ; 

 these his brother Gilbert now rented of him. 



