66 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1751 



for their part of the Invitation. I hope your father has not 



seen your more than Poetical Compliments, for if he has, he 



must not see me unless he has a turn for Poetry, and knowe 



that a Poet must give the Perfection he does not find. 



When you next drink Tea in * the Pensile nest-like Bower ^ 



pity 



Your obliged humble servant, 



Yes Papa!"* 



In June, Gilbert White went, after his brief visit 1 

 to Oxford, to Chipping Norton ; and on July Istj 

 set out on "a journey to Oxford and round the 

 N.W. of England to Lyndon and Stamford," return- 

 ing on August 24th. In September, with Tom Mulso 

 and his own brothers John and Harry, he made 

 a little excursion to Portsmouth, and in October 

 paid a short visit to Oxford, where he bought " of 

 Mr. De Chair of Oriel a genteel bay mare coming 

 6 years old called Flora about 14 hands and a hall 

 high," which he notes he sold for the same money. 



Writing on July 25th, 1751, to his friend at Lyn- 

 don, Mulso says : — 



" You are going to see new Places and make more observa- 

 tions. I expect you would make them to me. Consider, 

 I have a pretty collection of your travels about England, 

 and you must carry the set through. I may make it a 

 useful work in time, and enable young men to travel with 

 Taste and improve at home." 



On October 25th, 1751, Gilbert White became 

 Curate-in-charge of Selborne for Dr. Bristow, who was 



* A nickname in her family. 



