108 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1759 



been thought of this epithet, as applied to Gilbert 

 White, by his friend John Mulso ; who, when he had 

 obtained a living and a major and minor canonry 

 from his uncle, the Bishop, regretfully wrote to his 

 old friend that he could plainly see the Bishop 

 thought his cup was now full?'* 



Mulso expressed his opinion of his friend's clerical 

 modesty when he told him, after one of the numerous 

 refusals of a comfortable college living, that he 

 would go down to history as the man who ''refused 

 livings and served curacies." Nor can Gilbert White 

 be fairly called a "sinecure" clergyman; since, though 

 he paid a deputy to do his work in his little cure 

 of Moreton Pinkney, he continued during his whole 

 life after ordination in the exercise of clerical duty. 

 It is true the work of a country clergyman was not 

 then, nor is it now, of a wholly engrossing character ; 

 but such as the duties were, he regularly and punc- 

 tually fulfilled them, never receiving more than the 

 very modest stipend of a curate, in addition to the 

 slender income which remained after he had paid 

 his deputy in his little college living of Moreton 

 Pinkney. 



Meanwhile the brothers at Selborne continued 

 their improvements. On February 4th, 1759, Mulso 

 writes : — 



" In what manner to answer your last I am at a loss. We 

 have no towering Hills, no elegant nests to copy such as I 



• It held another preferment, however, shortly afterwards. 



