1754 ILLNESS OF JOHN WHITE 79 



"I presume by your enquiries after modern copies of 

 Diogenes and Aristippus, that you have imitated the 17th 

 Ep. of the 1st book of Horace. If so, I look upon it as 

 lawful Prize, and put in for a Sight of it. . . . It is an 

 odd time of the year for you to see gardens in ; I had rather 

 .see them in your description than in reality. You have 

 carried me round a very pleasant Tour." 



On March 26th, 1754, Mulso wrote again : — 



" Am I to suppose that your life has in it a great deal of 

 sameness or a great variety, that you are so bad a corre- 

 spondent? ... I was in town about three weeks ago and 

 there saw your brother Jack, and a very smart parson he 

 makes. He knew nothing of you and your motions. Mean- 

 while you are like a comet, who in your 'secreto itinere et 

 certo errore' are sucking in little worlds of knowledge and 

 funds of light, with which when you roll this way, you 

 are to astonish and eclipse us with your blaze." 



He goes on to request his friend to find him 

 a horse, and proceeds to describe perfection in horse- 

 flesh, from his own point of view, which he expects 

 to procure for twelve pounds at the most, *' which 

 I hope in Hampshire is a tolerable price." 



At this time an attack of illness sufiered by 

 Gilbert White's father at Selborne drew the follow- 

 ing encomium from Mulso, who wrote on April 5th, 

 1754 :— 



" I hope you are now on the safe side, and that Mr. White 

 is out of all danger. Knowing Mr. White as I do, I can 

 testify the truth of those virtues, which you, with all the 

 warmth of filial piety ascribe to him. No good man can 

 die without being a great loss, and I know in how many 



