232 GILBEET WHITE OF SELBORNE 1773 



very dangerous way) he will succeed to a living of more 

 than £400 per ann. 



Jack did not go with me to College, for I well knew that 

 if he had I could not have been with him one tenth of 

 the time: however, by means of his old friends at the 

 vicarage, and at Newton he was left very little with the 

 servants. We are to set out on Monday next on a visit 

 to Eingmer ; and nephew Benjamin who is visiting with 

 his father and mother and sisters at Newton, is to accom- 

 pany us. We intend to stay two Sundays. Last week 

 I began taking away the earth of my grass-plot and walk at 

 my garden door, so as to destroy the two steps and to level 

 the ground quite on to the alcove. We were much inter- 

 rupted at first by rain ; but now go on swimmingly. When 

 completed the job will be tant% and the nuisance of two 

 slippery steps removed. 



Poor Mrs. Snooke writes me word that she has the gout 

 in one hand and both feet, and what is worse a terrible 

 swelled leg that threatens her with the dropsy. 



And now as to my visit into Lancashire. I am very 

 desirous, as indeed I ought, to make you a visit. But this 

 cannot be brought about 'til after Xmass ; for in the first 

 place our journey to Sussex will take up half the space 

 between this and that; and in the next place I am 

 hampered with a breaking tenant at Greatham, whom I 

 want to remove before I leave these parts. And by Xmass, 

 I fear, the severe weather will much impede our expedition, 

 which will be a sort of migration reversed, to the N. instead 

 of the S. However, if it please God to enable me, I hope to 

 get to you some time in January. I rejoice much to hear 

 that you have at last got possession of your house; and 

 indeed, was I ready now, some time would be needful for 

 you to settle a little before any visitors came upon you. 



It is pleasant to hear that the spirit of Natural enquiries 

 subsists still at Gibraltar. There is a muscle, perhaps your 



