LETTER CCXI 323 



take Care of yourself & live as long as ever You can, to keep up 

 BO pretious a Character. 



Upon the Eect of your Letter, I enclosed it in a Note of 

 my own to Dr Chelsum who has been for a few days at Dr 

 Warton's, bub who, very perversely, was gone out of Town about 

 three or four hours. He went from hence to S. Hampton, thence 

 was to go to Wickham, there probably he may do Duty to- 

 morrow, (for he hates home) & possibly return hither from 

 thence, or go Somewhere else, for he is in Pursuit of a riding 

 Horse. I tbink you had better write your Case to him at 

 Droxford : in the mean time, I will get my Parcell conveyed to 

 him by ye most probable means that I can find, & ye most 

 expeditious; but the Man is like a Needle in a Bottle of Hay. 



I fear You are all plunged again into Sadness. I pray God 

 that the Vicinity of your Nephew* may produce future Scenes 

 of Joyousness & Happiness. — I have just met wth a young 

 Neighbour who is returning today to Meonstoke & will under- 

 take to deliver my Packett, but as he is young, & may be un faith- 

 full to my Trust (tho' I beleive not) & I may not get Knowledge 

 of it, I still advise You to write to Droxford. If I had sent it 

 by ye Cross Post from hence, it might have been three weeks in 

 going, or been lost ; for it is the worst X post in England. 



My John has been now five weeks in London wth his Uncles. 

 At present wth the Admiral. But I have sent him a Hint, that 

 he may be grown troublesome, & they may not be able to say 

 so with a Grace. This may possibly bring him back ; otherwise 

 I know not when he may come. 



We all join in Comps. & best Wishes, & Love to You & our 

 old friends that are left. My Household has been very sickly, 

 & old faithfuU John Knight at Death.'s Door, but he is well 

 again, & I hope will drive me to Selborne by ye neio Koad.f I 

 call Mrs J. White an old friend, because her Husband was so. 

 But You are my old friend of all, and very near my heart, & 

 I am ever, 



Dear Gil, Very afftely Your's, 



J. Mulso. 



* Edmund, son of Benjamin White, succeeded to the vicarage of Newton 

 Valence in the piace of his uncle Richard Yalden. 



t At this time Gilbert White desired his friends who came from the West 

 to try the North-Field-hill lane to Selborne, which had recently been made 

 up. It was not, of course, a neto road in the stricter sense. 



