320 GILBEET WHITE OF SELBOENE 1776 



have a good stroke of work. His price is two guineas and 

 an half per week. His buildings, human figures, quad- 

 rupeds, waters, perspective among trees, are good; but his 

 trees are not so pleasing : he has also a vein of humour, 

 but that I shall not allow him to call forth, as all my 

 plates must be serious. At the last Exhibition he produced 

 some very good drawings. 



Harry's outlet is now very neat and beautiful. Capt. 

 Shaw is but just gone from Farnham. I called on him 

 in my return from town; he seemed inclined, I thought, 

 to make me a visit; but he never came. Mrs. Etty has 

 been very ill indeed since her lying-in, but is getting 

 better ; she has got an other son, whose name is Simeon. 



Writing on May 5th, 1776, Mulso remarks : — 



" I shall envy you prodigiously when Mr. Grimm is with 

 you. What a plenitude of Virtu will you feel within you, re- 

 creating Selborne and immortalizing your Favourite Place." 



On May 27th, 1776, Thomas White heard from his 

 brother, who was now busy with ' The Antiquities of 

 Selborne.' 



"Pray desire brother Benjamin to enquire of Mr. Astle 

 and others where they suppose I can find Chart. 54 Hen. 3, 

 m. 3, De mercatu etferid apud Selehurn^ whether in the Tower 

 or elsewhere. 



"We have finished the hermitage, and I desire to know 

 what I am to charge you towards it, as you were so kind as 

 to make a tender of your subscription." 



This building, called by Gilbert White a "new 

 Hermitage" in a recent letter to his brother, may 

 be seen in Grimm's large north-east view of Selborne, 

 in the middle of the picture, which formed the 



