66 GILBEKT WHITE OF SELBOKNE 1749 



On September 25th, 1749, Mulso writes : — 



" I very heartily thank you and your good family for all 

 their favours at Selborne and Bradley, and I am very sorry 

 that I could not make one more visit at the last place." 



Judging from the address on Mulso' s letters, 

 Gilbert White was at this time living between his 

 uncle's house at Bradley and his home in Selborne. 

 There are now frequent references to purchases for 

 the garden at "The Wakes," and on October 13th, 

 1749, he pays Is, to 



" John Breckhurst for planting trees on Selborne plaister," 



a practice in which he often indulged in later days. 



On October 25th, 1749, Mulso writes describing 

 a visit to ** the top of Cowper's Hill." He con- 

 tinues : — 



"We had just time to get to Egham to dinner, where 

 Hunger recommended a plain meal, but we compensated that 

 by the elegance of our entertainment, which was the reading 

 of your Letter, and which I had hoarded up for that Pur- 

 pose. I shall only say upon our expedition, that I thought 

 the scenes it afiforded us well worth going to see, even after 

 the many beautiful ones which you took such kind pains to 

 show me. . . . 



"Are you sure that you shall not fetch home Harry at 

 Xmas? Cannot you rest at Sunbury for a day or two? 

 I think the sight of you would give me spirits for a month 

 at least. If you time your visit well, perhaps I may take a 

 trip to London with you ; we will see the family ; salute the 

 Bishop, and I wish with all my heart he could give you a 

 Hampshire living of two hundred a year in return for the 



