304 GILBEKT WHITE OF SELBOKNE 1776 



erazed as not to be legible at all. Thus you see if we have 

 any chance at all, it must arise from the shares of the lying- 

 in hospital in the nature of a lapsed legacy. Moreover, you 

 are to understand that Mrs. Woods' children can have no 

 claim, since they are removed one generation from the 

 nearest of kin ; and there is no court where the Judges will 

 prcedetermine ; since if they did, Lawyers must lay aside 

 their coaches and four. Mr. Tawke talks now of adminis- 

 tring. As to myself I expect nothing, if we meddle, but 

 seven chancery suits on our backs. I wish I may be so 

 fortunate as to express myself intelligibly on this intricate 

 subject ; and I also heartily wish that the poor gentleman 

 (who no doubt had full power over his own effects) had 

 either made a will or no will. This matter probably may 

 not be settled for many years. 



Thanks for your information concerning Mercury. Pray 

 throw out all sorts of Nat. hints. I have employed the 

 keeper of Domesday book to transcribe all relating to Sel- 

 borne ; and am to pay 4^ per line : besides I have applyed 

 for a transcript of all relating to the priory in Magdalen 

 College archives. Pray send me word what rivers were 

 frozen in Italy ; were they in Lombardy or in the more 

 S. parts? Virgil in the Georgics mentions freezing rivers. 

 Mr. Gibbon, a Hants gentleman, publishes next week his 

 first volume in quarto of a history of the latter Eoman 

 empire: there will be four volumes in all. I conclude re- 

 spectively, 



Your affectionate Brother, Uncle, and Brother, 



Gil. White. 



Eespects to family. Mr. Gibbon begins with Trajan. 

 Pray write soon. 



Though Gibbon's father was resident so near 

 Selborne as Petersfield, it does not appear that there 



