78 GILBEKT WHITE OF SELBOENE 1753 



On December 24th, 1753, Mulso writes : — 



"You will find enclosed with this the song you desired 

 me to procure you. ... I see your good Father setting 

 himself to his Harpsichord and trying it above forty times ; 

 for unless his hand is more in than when I saw him, he 

 will be some time recovering so full a Tune. Harry turns 

 up his honest face into the air, and pours out his part 

 presently. Harry has a good ear." 



The family was a musical one. The diaries kept 

 by Harry White, when Kector of Fyfield, continually 

 mention musical evenings at his house, which con- 

 tained, besides a piano, a harpsichord, spinet, violin, 

 and violoncello. They show, moreover, that he could 

 not only play but tune a harpsichord. 



Cut off as he seems to have been from his home 

 during the winter months, the Curate of Durley 

 found time to indulge in a little shooting. He 

 also entertained ''the Waltham gentry," and in 

 March went ''with Ladies to a puppet shew," pre- 

 sumably at some fair. With the opening of spring 

 the Selborne garden received much of his attention, 

 the Garden Kalendar containing numerous entries 

 of improvements, alterations, planting, etc., as the 

 year went on. His headquarters, however, were 

 still at Waltham — unless indeed the Selborne house 

 should really receive this appellation. 



However, other matters than gardening received 

 attention, since Mulso writes on February 9th, 

 1754 :— 



