336 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



Letter 220. 

 Beverend Mr "White, Meonstoke, 



Selborne near Alton, Hants. + at Alton. July 23, 1787. 



Dear Gil : 



I cannot for my Life recollect whether I have ever 

 written to you, since I reed your Answer to my Quaere of what 

 would or would not be proper to subscribe to ye Oriell Library. 

 I imagined that about that Time You would be gone to make your 

 S. Lambeth Visit. I sent my Draft for £10. 10 to ye Provost, 

 & had a handsome acknowledgment from him. After which, 

 I reed Duplicates by ye Post from a Duke, an Earl, a Viscount, 

 a Bart & many other Noblemen & Gentn to meet at a Tavern 

 & subscribe. Not One of the Above would do me the Favour to 

 frank my Letters. I read in the Papers, afterwards, that a very 

 genteel Subscription was made there — quatenus subscribing — but 

 whether That means paying I do not know. Nevertheless, by 

 my Calculation, You were near £1,000 below yr Plan of Expence. 

 If You was on yr Visit to your Brother on May 22d, I should 

 think that you would have given them the Meeting at ye St 

 Alban's Tavern. Did You do so? If I gather right from the 

 Papers You have enlarged your avunculism still farthur; for 

 they inform Us that a Miss White of S. Lambeth was lately 

 married ; I concluded it was one of your Brother Benjamin's 

 Daughters ; & I wonder that I have not heard from you, as You 

 generally let me know about yr great family Events, whether 

 good or bad ; and for this I am much obliged to you, for it is 

 like an Old Friend who supposes that I enter into the Fates & 

 Fortunes of those who belong to him. But tho' I do this 

 sincerely, yet I will not allow you to doubt of this Sincerity 

 because I cannot retain ye particulars, ye names, & the Persons 

 of your numerous Race ; my Memory grows treacherous in much 

 less dubious cases. To be so specially distinctive, it requires in 

 addition to a general Friendliness, ye Circumstance of Vicinitas, 

 & ye Friendship which is called Familiaritas. And as my 

 Position in Life has not given these Conditions to my Know- 

 ledge of your Brothers, (most prolific family Branches,) You 

 must forgive my knowing little more of their Eace than of 

 Tippoo Saibs. I expect nevertheless to hear from You of this 

 accession, & that it is as fortunate as these Connexions have 

 usually been, & I promise You to take a Pleasure in hearing it. 



Are You at Selborne, as melancholy, as sick, & as sorry as 

 we are at Mstoke.? My Seeds, & half my Meadow Grass was 

 cut down just at the Beginning of these dreadfull Rains : My 

 Seed Grass indeed was fit for bringing in, my Meadow was just 

 sever'd : If You love Hay-Tea, you may have the Opportunity 

 of fluting a Cup with me. I fear that my Hay is all spoilt. Our 

 Wet has been sorely heavy ; our Thunders & Lightnings very 



