1777 CONSULTS AN ENGRAVEE 7 



to be derived from such notice of you, if you mention no 

 such title. Supposing Linn, to be dead, there can be no 

 doubt but that his son will put forth the new edition. By 

 what we remember of the specimen of your work, we 

 thought some articles too diffuse. It is natural for you 

 to fall a little into this extreme from the regard you express 

 for Eeaumur ; since all the French in Natural History are 

 very circumstantial. Be so good as not to forestall my 

 cobweb-shower;* I wish I had two or three dozen more 

 of such anecdotes. An engraver has been with me; and 

 I have been talking with him about his taking off five or six 

 of my drawings : he says that my quarto drawings cannot 

 be well executed under eight guineas a piece : now five times 

 eight is forty ! Grimm is reducing my Hermitage- view in 

 order to bring it to a proper size for a mgnette : he is also to 

 take it in a large scale for brother Henry. You will see 

 in the papers a remarkable cause in the Commons between 

 a Patron and a Eector who took two distant perpetual 

 curacies : the matter was determined in favor of the Eector ; 

 had it gone against him the Eector of Fyfield would have 

 had cause to quake. I propose staying in town 'til the 

 14th of March. Eespects to my sister. 



Your aff. brother, 



Gil. White. 



If you think the mention of your degree of A.B. will 

 occasion any inconvenience you may easily drop it. Brother 

 Thomas waits on the Dean of Ely to-morrow at Lambeth : 

 and will be sure to desire him to represent you and Harry 

 in a favourable light to the new Bishop of Chester. Poor 

 Nanny White f declines very fast, and is in a very languish- 

 ing state. 



* Vide 'The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne,' Letter 

 XXIII. to Eeafiftiit. Sa/r.^j^/,. 



t Daughter of Benjamin White, senr. 



