1774 A FAMILY KESIDENCE 241 



seemed staggered at first when he saw he must sign stamp- 

 paper : but complying at last he took the money, and getting 

 without the door cursed us all in a most devout and liberal 

 manner : and so ended the negotiation. B. was so provoked 

 at this usage, that he thinks that he should have thrashed 

 him, had he been well and able. Let me hear soon. 



On February 15th, 1774, Mulso wrote again re- 

 gretting that his eflforts to find his friend a tem- 

 porary substitute had failed. He continues : — 



* I am sorry that we shall not meet in London or indeed 

 elsewhere for a good while : for you are called to London, and 

 Oxford. . . . Pray, when you build, let it be a drawing-room 

 upstairs, that you may look on the Hanger ; let it be higher 

 than the present, and let it be sashed. * Monstrous ! why 

 this will be a great expence ! ' True, therefore take two years 

 instead of one to do it in. As you want to decoy your 

 family after you to make Selbourne a place of residence, as 

 well as to enjoy it during your own life, e'en do it in a 

 tempting way. Your brothers will be rich men : and you 

 are yourself the richest man that I know, for you are the 

 only man of my acquaintance that does not want money. 

 Stay, I believe I will except my uncle the Bishop — But I am 

 not so sure of him as I am of you. 



"May your Eirundines* as I doubt not, bring in the 

 spring and summer of your fame! I am glad you have 

 entrusted yourself to the Public that you reap your due 

 honours. Jack's 'Fauna' should follow close. ... I still 

 rave at your roads, which have defeated two or three schemes 

 I had to see you. Airson joined me the other day, and vows 

 he never went to Selborne in his life, but he lost his way." 



* The first of Gilbert "White's papers on this subject was read before the 

 Royal Society in February, and the second in March of this year (1774). 

 They were subsequently printed in 'Philosophical Transactions,' vol. Ixix. 

 VOL. I. — R 



