326 LETTERS TO GIL6BBT WHITE 



to do so. Nevertheless there is a Circumstance or two that must 

 be referred to your Judgement. My Sister Chapone is by this 

 time at the Deanery, & as her Hosts are going to Kent in a little 

 time, She is to be turned over to Us when they begin to move. 

 I suppose therefore that She cannot be with them above a fort- 

 night longer than the Date hereof, or thereabouts. As we are 

 upon Honour to receive the Wanderer, & not let her lie on the 

 Downs of Hampshire ; & as, in spite of ye Windows in front, my 

 House will contain but a certain number of Guests, and That, 

 (as I am afraid you will find) very inconveniently to themselves, 

 I therefore cannot profess to be at Liberty to bid You wellcome 

 for more than a fortnight. If therefore so short a Visit, spent in 

 a very solitary Way, (for we have now few or no Neighbours,) 

 will be worth the Trouble of your's & Mrs White's Journey hither, 

 You certainly will make that Time very agreeable to Us. You 

 will do my wife good ; for She has at present, & has had for 

 some time, no Appetite & no Spirits. She promises You a 

 Nunchion of Something or Another, & moreover to dine at three 

 o'clock during the Time of your sojourning with Us. And we 

 will have the Dinner ready for you at three o'Clock on Monday, 

 so see that You set otit in Time, that your totum Nil be not 

 spoiled. If You come thro' the Village, the Gates of my Meadow 

 shall be opened for You ; and the Gates of my Field if You come 

 round by Brockbridge ; put Case that yr Driver shuts them after 

 him. We have had a bad Accident, my Footman has cut his 

 hand, in whetting Knives, so bad as to sever a small Artery, & to 

 render his hand useless at present, tho' he hopes to get it well. 

 He is not however useless in all respects, so do not be discouraged 

 about that : your old acquaintance John Knight will help you in 

 Time of Need. The Taylor, Lock, who lived at the End of my 

 Meadow, died suddenly two days ago, as he was cleaving wood, 

 wth his Son, in his Garden ; I used to leave the Key of my 

 Meadow at his House ; but the Gates shall be open. 



You & Mrs White must live on the paring of Cheese, for this 

 late dry weather has parched up our Soil, & dried away both 

 Peas & Beans. We have since that had Thunder Storms & a 

 good deal of Rain at Times, which has refreshed us, but not quite 

 repaired our Losses. My Pond is almost dry, as the Millers 

 above me will not let me down water enough to keep it full. 



My Jenny has not been quite well, but seems better today. 

 Hester is as grave as Timothy when She is at Old Hatig. Jack 

 is well in Northtonshire. Mr Nowell well & ready to attend You 

 here. 



Let me have a Line on Sunday's Post to tell us what time 

 you propose to be with Us. I pray God to send us a happy 

 meeting. With ye Comps. & Love of all here to Mrs White & 

 You, I am. Dear Gil, Your's very afiftely 



J. Mulso. 



