LETTER CLXXXIII 285 



Letter 183. 

 Reverend Mr White, Meonstoke. 



Selbourne near Alton, Hants. July 22, 1779. 



Dear Gil : 



I rejoyced to see your Handwriting again, Not that I 

 should have formally stay'd upon a Supposition that I had wrote 

 last, but I have had many Reasons for deferring to take up my 

 Pen. I have had so much Uneasiness & so much Suffering of 

 late, that I do not love to spread the Infection of Melancholy 

 by letting so dear a friend into all the Particulars, as One is 

 mightily apt to do, while Illness is strong upon One. I there- 

 fore sat silent, & thought I should hear of You. I enquired after 

 You, when I came from London, but You was not returned ; I 

 beleive I wrote to You once since then, but I am not sure. I 

 am glad to find that You do not complain of Yourself, tho' You 

 give 80 unhappy an Account of poor John, & of ye younger Miss 

 Barker. I am glad that your Works follow You, & that You 

 gather Fruit in Plenty from ye Wall that You built at a good 

 deal of Expence. I cannot boast of Fruit here ; You know the 

 Place & it's Deficiences in point of Soil ; & that I am not, like 

 Yourself, able & skillfull to improve the Genius of ye stubborn 

 Plain. I should be very proud of my Performances if I could ; 

 for I feel a Pride for You, & am One of your chief Trumpeters. 

 I made an Attempt to go in the Chaise the other Night to 

 Hambledon, but I was forced to turn back ; when I get thither, 

 I will call at Paddick's & pay your Bill, if I think of it, as I hope 

 I shall do ; but a Failure of Memory is One of my Symptoms of 

 Old Age. 



As to Mrs Mulso's & my Coming to see You this Summer, 

 I own I see very little Probability at present for many Reasons ; 

 but a Want of Inclination is not One ; I have a longing Desire 

 both to see You again in your own House, & to see your House 

 itself, tho' I know that You have been unsuccessfull about 

 Papering your new Room ; I hear, from some Damp, or Salt, or 

 Something, that prevents it's taking due hold. You will be very 

 happy in the Company of your Brother Thomas, to whom I beg 

 my Compliments as well as to his Daughter : But sure I read in 

 the Papers lately of her being married, & am somewhat surprized 

 that You do not speak of her by a new Name. 



I am not delighted at present, tho' I know not what I may 

 be, at your Labours about the Hystory of Selbourne : I fear the 

 sweet & elegant Simplicity of your Observations will be over- 

 whelmed by the Rubbish of the Antiquities of your Native Place. 

 I shall be pleased from the Partiality I have for ye Place for 

 your Sake ; The Provost of Worcester, & Some of your Anti- 

 quarian Friends will like it for the Studiousness of ye Re- 

 searches; but I doubt whether the Book will be the better for 



