LETTER CLXXXII 283 



Do You remember a Circumstance in a Sermon of your's 

 which You preached at Sunbury many a Year ago. (This is 

 between ourselves) It is an Observation on the Coldness of our 

 Saviour's Behaviour to ye Virgin ; & a Reason assigned, least 

 immoderate Honours might be paid her, as the Body of Moses 

 was hidden from the Israelites least they should worship him. 

 The Thing struck me at the Time, & I beleive I enquired of You 

 who was the Objector & the Observer on ye Conduct of our Lord. 

 I made a Sermon on the Thought, & I suppose had read the 

 Passage where You directed me, but as I did not enter it in my 

 Book, I have totally forgot where it was, So that I have 

 answer'd an imaginary Objector for ought I can certify, which 

 Thing I hate. But as You led me into this Scrape, pray lead 

 me out of it immediately. It is a Sermon I want to use at the 

 Cathedral, & I should look foolish if I was interrogated and 

 could not give a good Account of my Self. And They are 

 keen Searchers here. * 



I save up the Bp of London to Summer Reading at Stoke. 

 My Wife has been in London, & there She heard of Miss Shutterf 

 who keeps her Chariott in Town, which I fear is going a little 

 too far. Her Life is a Novell. 



Farewell. The Admiral hurries me to go out wth Him. 



I am, with the Comps. of All here, Dear Gil, Afiftely Your's, 



J. Mulso. 



Letter 182. 

 Reverend Mr White, Winchester. 



Selbourne near Alton, Hants. Feb : 13, '79. 



Dear Gil : 



This I hope will catch You, tho' just on ye Wing for 

 S. Lambeth. It comes to thank You for your Letter, & at ye 

 same Time to tell You how much I was disappointed by it. But 

 You are quite in Spirits about it ! quite jocose ! Dramatic & 

 theatrical ! — No ; it could not be as You say, I never heard any 

 one preach in New Coll : Chapell, that I can remember, except 

 One Bolles (as I think) & he preached on the Bights of Primo- 

 geniture. You may depend upon it, it was Yourself. You are 

 ye man who have always led me wherever You pleased ; You 

 know, wretch, that I have always had, & still have such an 

 Opinion of your Precision & Integrity, that I proclaim things 

 as certain, that You have once said. And if You averr'd that a 



* On the outer sheet of this letter Gilbert White noted the reference— 

 " Tl ifioi Kai ffol, yivai ; " 



t A niece of Mrs. Etty's, and an heiress, who had recently returned from 

 Madras. 



