1776 MULSO UEGES PUBLICATION 315 



this spring, and indeed the want of that ornament, which 

 you seemed to set your heart upon, will make it impossible. 

 I feel an impatience, and the more for your sake, as the taste 

 of the town for reading is capricious, and natural observa- 

 tions have had a run, and at a high price. I should rather 

 therefore have wished both you and John to have pushed 

 your collections forward. But you must be best judge now 

 you have been at London." 



In March Gilbert White returned to Selborne, 

 whence he wrote — 



To Thomas White. Selborne, April 6, 1776. 



Dear Brother, — Though I must not aspire so high as to 

 make any pretensions to the rectory of Gotham ; yet may I 

 claim at least to be Mr. Lightfoot's curate : for I have acted 

 so simply by Berriman's bill, which I brought up to be 

 forwarded to Mr. Cane, that unless you can help me out 

 I shall, in all appearance, be ten pounds out of pocket for 

 my meddling. Now this bill, which was a Guildford note 

 value £10, did I carry in my pocket intending daily to pay 

 it, with £1. 5. 0. more, into the hands of Bro. Benj. Some- 

 what still, forgetfulness I suppose, prevented my paying it 

 to him. However in some moderate time the bill was gone ; 

 and I had so fully possessed myself that I had done what 

 I ought, that I thought little of the matter ; only now and 

 then asking my Br. Benjamin if Mr. Cane had drawn for the 

 money ; to which he always answered in the negative. Under 

 this perswasion I came down and told Berriman that I had 

 payed his money. When, lo, in a post or two comes a letter 

 from Mr. C. complaining that he had drawn for the money ; 

 but that the answer was that no such money had been paid 

 in : from whence I conclude that my Bro. is not conscious 

 that I ever paid him : neither indeed can I say that I did ; 

 only that I thought for iveeks before I left him that I had. 



