16 GILBERT WHITE OF SELRORNE 1777 



people about her told me, than she had been some days 

 before. The next morning she was much mended ; and has 

 continued to mend so fast every day that she is become quite 

 another woman; and Mr. Manning informed me this 

 morning that he had now good hopes of a recovery. 



Brother Harry brought your MS. to Selborne the first 

 week in August but what between an hurry of business, 

 company, and building, I have been able as yet to pay little 

 attention to it. Yet though I have not paid it that regard 

 which I ought, a visitor of mine has read it through with 

 great care; and if I may judge from the many hours he 

 bestowed on it each day should suppose he was well pleased. 

 The person alluded to is D'^ Chandler the traveller in Greece, 

 who being no naturalist has no partiality for the Linn. 

 system; but avers that it will prevent your book from 

 becoming popular. He and I had much serious talk about 

 the matter; and he asserts roundly, that he is sure that 

 if you could perswade yourself to divest it of its quaint garb 

 (those were his words) that he is certain it would be worth 

 £200 of any body's money. He advises (no he does not, for 

 he spoke with great modesty on the occasion) he hints, I 

 should say, that if you could prevail on yourself to exchange 

 Glasses and Ordines for Chapters, and to throw all your tables 

 back into an appendix, that your book would be very much 

 read. The generality of readers, he observes, are very lazy, 

 and afraid of figures ; though your tables, he thinks, may be 

 pleasing and useful to some. He farther added, that you 

 might still refer to Linn. &c. at the bottom of each page. 

 And I have observed myself, that booksellers lately in new 

 editions of Nat. works have added Linn, names; and the 

 reason is, because though it is the fashion now to despise 

 Linn, yet many languish privately to understand his method. 



Pray weigh seriously what I have said, and consider about 

 the J)^'^ £200. You have not been informed, I think, that 

 John Wells has at last consented to sell me the fields 



