96 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE i783 



To Miss White. Selbome. 



Dear Molly, — As you seemed to be so versed in Milton, I 

 send you an other quotation applicable to the occasion 

 mentioned in my former letter. 



. . . "He 



. as an evening dragon came, 

 Assailant on the 'perched roosts 

 And nests in order rang'd 

 Of tame villaticfowl." .... 



Here, my dear niece, your Newtons and your indexes will 



not avail you. yours affectionately, 



Gil. White. 



To Miss White. 



Selbome, Feb. 20th, 1783. 



Dear Mrs. Mary, — I return you many thanks for your 

 very entertaining letter ; and for your method of making of 

 mice ; which is a receipt that no family ought to be with- 

 out ; and especially my family, as we have not had a mouse 

 in the house for months. 



We have had a strange wedding lately. A young mad- 

 headed farmer out of Berks came to marry farmer Bridger's 

 daughter, and brought with him four drunken companions. 

 He gave two guineas and a crown to the ringers ; and came 

 and drank with them, and set all the village for two days in 

 an uproar. Poor dame Butler, hearing that her son was 

 fighting, fell into fits, and continued delirious two days. 

 These heroes, after they had drank all the second day at the 

 Compasses, while a dinner dressing at the great farm at 

 Newton was spoiled, went up at last, and ranted and raved 

 so, that they drove the two Mrs. Hammonds (one of whom 

 is the bride's eldest sister) up into their chambers through 

 fear. At six in the evening they took the bride (who wept 

 a good deal) and carryed her away for Berks. The common 



