152 GILBERT WHITE OF SELBORNE 1786 



my friends, I cannot say: but in the evening and part 

 of the night my feet raged and I felt violent pains, so 

 that I expected the gout at once : but this day, I thank 

 God, they are better; but still in a grumbling way. Mr. 

 Powlett, it is said, is going to quit Rotherfield, and to 

 retire. Is Uncle Harry still in town ; or is he returned 

 back to Fyfield ? The quantity of fall, snow and rain, 

 has been very great this month : already, I think, six inches 

 and upward. How do the cellars stand affected at S. 

 Lambeth ? Some people continue still to fall with sad 

 fevers at Alton; some die. The snow of Wednesday, 

 Jan. 4th was drifted much under the tiles of my roof, 

 and lodged on the ceilings, where it became very trouble- 

 some, and did much damage, when the thaw came. 



Y' loving uncle, 

 Gil. White. 



The Provost of Oriel College, the newspaper says, has got 

 a daughter. 



To Mrs. B. White. Seleburne, Mar. 25, 1786. 



Dear Molly, — Was I to let the bearer to return without 

 any answer to your late kind letter, I should think that 

 I had not deserved so kind an attention. Have you heard 

 of the great good fortune that has befallen Crondall, a 

 village near Farnham ? The people of that parish in a 

 club, about 36 in number, joined and bought one quarter 

 of a ticket, which came up one of the £20,000 prizes : so 

 that a number of little farmers, and servants, and labourers 

 have shared £5,000 between them; and in such a manner 

 as one would think, would do the gainers no harm, but a 

 great deal of service. Had that great lump fallen to any 

 individual amongst them, it would, in all probability, have 

 driven him quite into a frenzy: but now it is lowered 

 and diluted into so many parts, there is reason to hope 



