150 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1766 



from the following rather curious entry in the 

 Garden Kalendar : — 



" Ap. 26. Finished moving my barn, which I set at the 

 upper end of the orchard. It began to move on Thursday 

 the 17, and went with great ease by the assistance of 

 about 8 men for that little way that it went in a straight 

 line: but in general it moved in a curve, and was turned 

 once quite round, and half way round again. . . . The barn 

 is 40 feet long." 



"June 18. Received a Hogsh. of port from Southton 

 between Mr. Yalden and myself." 



On July 3rd, 1766, Mulso recurs to his friend's 

 matrimonial, or perhaps more strictly non- matri- 

 monial, intentions. He was entertaining Mr. and 

 Mrs. Thomas Mulso and Mrs. Chapone at Selborne. 



"These summer Visitants of your's are great hindrances 

 to a certain scheme, which you once told me should be 

 soon undertaken, if it ever was to be undertaken at all. 

 It was a scheme to prevent your marrying your maid 

 when you was sixty or seventy. I shall not let you go 

 above a year or two more, before I begin to take the other 

 side of the question, and inveigh against your undertaking 

 this yoke of wedlock at all; and that, because the chances 

 will go more against you, whether you may or may not 

 live to see your children Christianly and virtuously brought 

 up. . . . Come, my dear friend, time is precious. Somehow 

 it has entered into my head that I shall not stay long in 

 this country. Let me have the satisfaction of showing to 

 you a very pretty part of it." 



The Garden Kalendar continued as usual during 

 this year (1766), but its author composed in addi- 

 tion what he termed — 



