LETTEB CCXIII 325 



everything ; to which there is at present great InabiHty, & little 

 Disposition to Residence there. Jack leaves Us on the 17th. 



Pray when did poor Timothy emerge this Year? and how 

 soon or late did You see your Swallows & your Swifts ? The 

 Winter was long & severe upon those Travellers. 



My Daughters are well & much your's. The odd Pair of 

 Turtles that you saw taking Shelter in the Hanger, go on cooeing 

 very prettily ; but the Season for building their Nest is not yet 

 come. Hester, whose Mate is not yet found, despises the Melody 

 of ye Nightingale. She is quite sober'd down by Old Hang, (as 

 She calls Meonstoke) & longs for the Theatre & Riots of Win- 

 chester. But, however, there were not any Violences, such as 

 were reported, or could be called Riott, tho' much Anger & Some 

 Abuse ; & Matters are in part accommodated. But the Vehe- 

 mence of Patronage & Favour to ye Actors, to compensate for 

 their short Interruption, makes it almost suspicious that it was 

 the Manager's Scheme, & ye Flames so artfull, — 

 tanquam Ipse suas accenderat ^des. 

 At least he could not have laid a more successfull Plot. 



Have we any Hope of seeing You here in any Part of this 

 Summer ? We should be very glad to make Meonstoke agree- 

 able to Mrs John White, & beg our best Respects to her. I 

 think that for the latter part of August & beginning of September 

 we could not accommodate You together. 



With the joint good wishes of my family to you & Your's, & 

 Mr Nowell's added, I subscribe those of, 



Dear Gil, Your's ever & very afiftely, 



J. Mulso. 



I think that I formerly took Notice of Thos Warton's being 

 appointed Poet Laureat, & supposed the astonish'd face of his 

 Father, could he look out of his grave & be Witness of such 

 Court Favour to a Son of his. I must say that Thomas ought not 

 to be judg'd of by ye present Ode, because he was much hurried 

 in it. (Mem : I have not seen it at ye Time of writing This.) 

 Nor do I think that his Poetical Fame ought hereafter to depend 

 upon Odes. I would venture a Wager that in an equal Course 

 of Years Willm Whitehead's will beat him out & out. For 

 Whitehead's was a placid, industrious, & complying Vein, whereas 

 Warton's requires great, or striking Occasions of Genius. 



Letter 213. 

 Reverend Mr. White, Meonstoke. 



Selborne near Alton, Hants, -f at Alton. July 28, 1785. 



Dear Gil : 



I received your's yesterday, proposing to us the Pleasure 

 of your Company & yr Sister J. White's on Monday next. There 

 is no Doubt that we shall be exceedingly glad to see you, & hope 



