344 LETTERS TO GILBBBT WHITE 



wishes & Comps. which I heartily return. My Daughters join 

 in afifte Comps. with, 



My dear Gil, Yours ever & sincerely, 



J. Mulso. 



Letter 226. 

 Reverend Mr White, Winchester, 



Selbourne near Alton, Hants. + at Alton. Deer 16, 1788. 



Dear Gil : 



I have longed to write to you some time to tell You how 

 handsome I think You in your new Dress. But, alass, I & all 

 my family in turn have been ill with what is call'd Influenza. 

 Mrs Mulso is far from well, tho' better. This Distemper as an 

 Influenza ought to shew the same Symptoms, & keep to them in 

 every body ; but I think it is not so ; it seizes the weak part of 

 every body, & therefore varies with the Constitution. My Wife has 

 had a terrible Cough, so as to be almost suffocated, but Dr Litble- 

 hales is setting her to rights apace. I had advanced to my 13th 

 day of strict Residence when it stop'd me short. I began again 

 on the 24th of last Month, & finish'd it yesterday. The Time of 

 Unwellness is most agreeably fill'd up with a real good work, & 

 especially when that Book is tho Production of a well-beloved 

 Friend. I was obliged to yr Brother Benjamin for sending me 

 yr Selbourne so early, before it made it's appearance to ye world ; 

 I wrote to yr Brother about it, he was very carefull & Kind ; & I 

 wrote to my own Brother to call on him & pay for it, which he 

 has promised me to do. And now, as to what I think of it, You 

 have known long, as I have read all the natural Observations 

 before, & given them such Commendations as I could give ; which 

 wanted such Weight as a thorough knowledge in that Branch 

 would have given, and which the Book deserves. As to the 

 Antiquities, you have given to them such a Grace in your Manner 

 of treating the Subject, as would give a Pleasure & a Hunger of 

 reading to a Man not an Antiquarian. Your Book was men- 

 tioned with Respect by our Chapter, (a full One) & the Volume 

 ordered to be bought for the Library. The Prints do not satisfy 

 me, nor do they do justice to your beautifull Scenery. 



I do not know whether you will resent any fault being found 

 wth the Care of the printing ; I have hardly ever seen a Book 

 so well attended to, & so happily finished off. I hit upon two 

 little Inaccuracies (as I think) one Page 32 — Vespertilio auriius, 

 which should I suppose be aureus. The other is page 237 in the 

 Motto, et in suo genere, should be est; & the est which begins 

 the second part of the Sentence should be at or ast. You will 

 wonder at my being so sharp-sighted for faults in so perfect an 

 Edition, but it was meerly accidental, & I stumbled on them. — 



