142 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBOENE 1735 



Warton's * History of Poetry.' What says Dugdale of 

 Canons regular of the order of S* Augustine? 



While you were with me, and since, I bore up very well 

 against the severity of the season : but now this return of 

 winter, with the aggravation of March winds, has quite 

 over-come me, has given me a feverish cough, and confined 

 me to the house. The late frosts have destroyed all the 

 garden-stuff, and, as men tell me, have much injured the 

 wheat. Everything is very backward : for the ground is so 

 hard that the farmers cannot plow their stubbles. John 

 Withal has been able to do some work for some time : but 

 two of his fingers, one on each hand, are still very sore, and 

 want much dressing. Mr. Dusuetoy, the curate at Newton, 

 has just recovered from a purse-proud farmer at Eastmeon 

 the sum of £200 with costs, having brought an action for 

 most gross usage, such as calling him, where-ever he met 

 him, French son of a female dog; spitting in his face at 

 Church and else where ; for having written to the Bishop to 

 prevent his getting priest's orders, &c., &c., the jury was 

 special, his attorney Mr. Clement. Mr. Mill, the clergyman 

 at Faringdon appeared against the smuggler that robbed him 

 on the Farnham road, and has got him condemned : he is a 

 most daring fellow, and has twice broke out of gaol, once at 

 Dorchester, and once at Winton. They have cut all the 

 beeches on the top of the hanger ; have thinned that beauti- 

 ful fringe, but not destroyed it, so that next summer the 

 Hanger will be as lovely as ever. I thank your father for 

 his account of Oaks.* We lament greatly the loss of poor 

 Mr. Yalden : this is now the second good neighbor that I 

 have lost in eleven months ! Mr. Charles Etty is still at 

 Gravesend or the Hope, two miles lower : but they are on 

 the wing, and expecting to sail every hour for India. The 

 parish sent our sailor-boy, Bridger, up to town, and down 



* Published in the form of a letter to the * Gentleman's Magazine,' 1785, 

 p. 109. 



