290 LETTERS TO QILBEKT WHITE 



conditions ; but have Hope, from your Silence on that head that 

 there is not such in it as would vacate your Fellowship at Oriel 

 Coll : — a circumstance which I touched upon lightly to You of 

 late, when You sent me word of your refusing the living, when 

 without much merit of a divining spirit, I foretold the Death of 

 your Aunt.* I am glad to hear that Harry will be materially 

 benefited by her Will, as he has a large Family & is of Oiir Trade, 

 which is not a very thriving one as Times go. I am glad that 

 your Brother Thomas has escaped his severe Attack, there have 

 been so many young men cut off lately, that even a good Consti- 

 tution has been defeated about Us. I hope your good Neigh- 

 bours are well: Is Mrs Etty's Son yet set off upon his Sea 

 Tryals? 



I have not lately heard of Miss Shutter, So that your Account 

 of her Misfortunes is quite new to me. The last that I heard 

 of her was that She was visiting in her own Coach, for which 

 I could not but blame her in my own Mind, tho' it was said that 

 her Lover had secured £600 pr An : to her, at all Events, upon 

 Funds or Estate realized in England ; but her Story seem'd 

 partly of the Novell kind, & seemed prone to a melancholy 

 Catastrophe. 



I hope You are well at home after your Peregrinations. I 

 have scuflBed thro' this Winter tolerably well since my Arrival 

 at Winchester, from which Place we were detained by sore 

 Throats &c 'till the End of November : but Mrs Mulso has been 

 very ill wth a Complaint in her Bowells, and is yet but very 

 indifferent, trading in Laudanum at Nights, & Dalhy's Carminitive 

 by Day. She has been much pulled down, & has been raked 

 afore & aft like a Ship in a hard Engagement — and so by the 

 same Token, I wish You Joy of our late Success at Sea ; t I had 

 ye Satisfaction to see Spanish & French Colours spread on Sr 

 Chaloner Ogle's Grass Plotts & Rooms ; which gave me a little 

 Fillup as I have a Nephew & Son at Sea. They are at present 

 safe frozen up at Quebec. 



Our good old Bishop holds on very well at present ; but we 

 must have his Age in our Eye & not be surprized when a Change 

 comes. He even had the Pertness to deride the Depredations 

 of Time on the Bp of Bristoll, & quote Horace to do it — " Longa 

 Tithonum minuit Senecta, for my Bror Bristoll is thinner than 

 a Grasshopper." 



Farewell. I have chatter'd 'till I am tired ; besides I am 

 disconcerted, for John tells me that my new Saddle Horse is 



* This farm had belonged to Gilbert White's grandfather, the Vicar of 

 Selbome. After payment of the land tax and charges in favour of his 

 brothers upon it, he did not receive more than about £15 a year from it. 



t Admiral Rodney's victory off Cape St. Vincent, on January 16th. 



