LETTER CCIX 321 



know my Call to Berkshire, you deferr'd writing to me in answer 

 to my last. It let you know that we hold our Purpose to come 

 to you on Tuesday 27th, & shall be glad to be met at Tistead 

 Turnpike about Eleven o'Clock by some Guide. I do not mean 

 yourself, because riding wth Chaises, tho' they may abate of their 

 usual speed, is too fatiguing to you. Consider three Ladies & 

 a Gentleman (who now demands several little fiddle faddle 

 additions to his Conveniences more than formerly), & ye ward- 

 robe of 2 Servants ; if all this will not go on the Chaises & in 

 them, we must send the Surplus by a Coach or waggon to be 

 left for You at the Swan at Alton. If so. You must procure a 

 little Cart, & one horse that will go in the Till, for my own will 

 not ; if more than one shd be necessary, my own can go over, 

 in aid, next morning. 



I proposed to your Choice the having or not having Son John 

 wth Us, had he come from Oxford wth me; & I hope You would 

 have dealt quite openly on the Subject. But as that Scheme 

 did not take place, I shall write to him tomorrow, to stay where 

 he is, or to dispose of himself elsewhere, while we are at 

 Selborne ; for lie, you know, can come over when we cannot. 



"We have now a great Eain, which gives me Hopes that it 

 may be fairer for it when we are at Selborne, which Place does 

 not become Eain any more than Meonstoke ; which is chalky and 

 marly. This Change of weather will put an End to ye Beauties 

 of my Eose Bushes, which were luxuriant & delightfull. We 

 have had a Plenty of Strawberries, & most fruits seem plentifull. 

 As to Corn, it is still in a precarious State ; but my Hay Harvest 

 is compleatly got in. "When I am wth You, my Saddle-Horse 

 will go to Grass, if you please ; but my Coach horses will not. 

 Lay me in therefore a Quarter of Oats, & I will be responsible 

 for it. As to yr Hay — the Lord have mercy on You ! 



My Sister Chapone, to whom I mentioned your kind Para- 

 graph of Invitation, is now at Culling Smith's Esq : at Hadley 

 near Barnet. She thinks of making a Visit at St Marie's in the 

 second week in August, & thence making a Transition to Us. I 

 think therefore that her Plan does not quite fall in wth Your's. 



"We had yesterday a tempestuous Wind, chiefly fm "W. or 

 N.W. but varying & almost like a Hurricane. We have a stiff 

 Gale today, but S W. and attended wth heavy Eain, & an 

 Atmosphaere generally suffused. This I like better than " the 

 Turmoil of ye tumbling Clouds," (in ye Original, Flood.) My 

 Heart shrinks at the Storms that we hear of, & I am grown a 

 great Coward & Sufferer by Thunder & Lightning, it unnerves 

 me to a piteous Degree : So pray that we may have none of it 

 at Selborne, or indeed any where. 



Oar Comps. to Mrs J. "White & yr Neighbours. 



I am, Dear Gil, Afftely Your's, 

 21 J. Mulso. 



