242 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1774 



From the Naturalist's Journal — 



" March 5, 1774. Received as a present from Mr. Hinton 

 (to whom it was sent from Exeter with many more) one of 

 Mr. William Luccombe's new variety of oaks. . . ." 



In another hand is written — 



" But inquire of your brother of Thames Street about it." 



To the Bev. John White. 



Faringdon, March 6, 1774. 



Dear Brother, — Mr. Webb, as you say, is, I believe, a good 

 natured man, and in good business. I have made some 

 enquiries round about by means of Mr. Yalden;* but the 

 answer was, that at present he did not think it convenient 

 to take an apprentice. So it is needless to say anything 

 farther on that subject. 



What is become of your friend General Cornwallis ? I 

 have never seen any mention of his arrival. 



You never let me know whereabout your expences came 

 for the fitting up of your house. I talk of building a 

 parlor; but when it comes to the point I have fears about 

 the trouble; besides green walls will not be habitable till 

 the second year. In what language did you write to 

 Linnaeus? and in what did he answer you? 



The late decree in the house of Lords concerning literary 

 property will make booksellers shy of publishing new 

 editions, as it renders such property very precarious. There 

 is in London a strange spirit of decrying Linnaeus, which 

 seems to obtain more and more; I think, without any reason. 

 Just as infidels rail at the S.S., though at the same time 

 their minds are much enlightened by them. Mr. Twiss had 

 written me word that he would come and see me in the 



• This little incident illustrates the extreme caution which Gilbert White 

 habitually used. Mr. Webb, with whom he was well acquainted, lived at 

 Alton. Mr. Yalden was his neighbour at Newton Valence vicarage. 



