190 GILBEKT WHITE OF SELBOKNE 1770 



That Gilbert White was now really at work on 

 his proposed publication appears from the following 

 remarks of the same correspondent a little later in 

 the month (December 27th, 1770) :— 



"As to 'Charles the 5th,' I finished him in three weeks, and 

 you have had three months, a solitary House and a Eire to 

 yourself : so that unless you purposely interrupt yourself in 

 order to prolong your Pleasure, it must be finished in all 

 this time. But you have an inexhaustible Fund in your 

 ' Systema'l true : but as that will never be over as long as you 

 live, I will not admit it as an excuse for not writing to me : 

 tceclet harum quotidianarum formaricm. . . . Jacky* talks 

 much of being your neighbour at Mr. Willis's [school] at 

 Alton, and I bespeak him the friendship of your nephews, 

 especially Gibraltar Jack." 



The last was the only child of John White, who 

 had, it will be remembered, been brought home in 

 the preceding year by his mother. 



The following letter is addressed to the Naturalist's 

 sister's (Mrs. Barker's) only son, then a boy in his 

 fourteenth year. He grew up to have many tastes 

 in common with his uncle, with whom he constantly 

 corresponded. 



To Samuel Barker. ^ ,, ^ -, -,.,^^ 



Selborne, Jan. 1, 1771. 



Dear Sam, — I was much pleased to see so intelligent a 

 letter from so young a writer, and shall be very glad to have 

 you continue your correspondence. 



The lines from the 'Odyssey' are very apropos and will 

 make a very suitable motto for the climate of Andalusia. 



* His eldest son. 



