1777 THE GREAT PAKLOUK BEGUN 9 



" It was from Dr. Balguy's information, (who returned to 

 us very lately) that I learnt you had been very dangerously 

 ill in London ; but my comfort came at the same time, for he 

 mentioned your being recovered, and attending at the visita- 

 tion at Alton. ... I am curious to know whether the regimen 

 that you must have been put into for your cure, had any 

 effect on your deafness. ... As I do not see any advertise- 

 ments in the papers, I conclude by the time of year that 

 you have deferred your publication till next winter. I wish 

 you had not: your brother Ben. is a timid man, and you 

 yourself are too modest and nice. The humour for such 

 performances will be over, and make something against the 

 merit of even your book. I felt impatient to see it, with 

 the decorations of Mr. Grimm." 



From the Naturalist's Journal — 

 "June 6. Began to build the walls of my parlor, which is 

 23 ft. and half by 18 ft. ; and 12 feet high and 3 inches." 



To Thomas White. 



[With a copy of a letter from Dr. Chandler"^ respecting 



The Temple, near Selborne.] 



Selborne, June 20, 1777. 



Dear Brother, — The Doctor's letter on the other side is 

 very satisfactory, and very edifying: for it not only proves 

 that OUT Temple belonged to the Knights Templars ; but that 

 it was also a preceptory, the preceptory of StiDiNGTON ; now 



* Dr. Richard Chandler (1738-1810) was educated at Winchester College, 

 and Queen's College, Oxford. He became Demy of Magdalen 1757, and 

 Probationary Fellow 1770. In 1764 he was commissioned by the Society of 

 Dilettanti to travel for antiquities in Asia Minor and Greece, of which he 

 published a narrative, as well as other works. In 1777 he was presented 

 to the livings of Worldham and West Tisted, in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of Selborne. In 1790 he settled for some time at Selborne Vicarage. 

 As will be seen, he rendered very material help to Gilbert White in the 

 preparation of his account of the antiquities of Selborne, in which parish 

 Magdalen College owned the Priory Estate. 



