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EDMUND WHITE 157 



farming whatsoever : he lets all his tithes, and all his glebe ; 

 reserving only to himself three or four fields for his horses 

 and cows. He will now know what he has to depend on: 

 whereas both his late uncles* were much imposed on; and 

 were subject to all the rabble and hurry of common renters. 

 Edmund I trust, some time hence, will make an excellent 

 neighbour ; but has been as yet a very bad one, for his time 

 has been so taken up with various courtships, that he has 

 never been at home yet for ten days together. He marries, 

 I think, in June : but first keeps another term at Oxford. 

 All my apricots were cut off by that violent weather in the 

 beginning of March ! So deep was the snow, and so starved 

 the birds, that the poor ring-doves came into our gardens to 

 crop the leaves and sprouts of the cabbages ! Hay is become 

 very scarce and dear indeed ! My rick is now almost as 

 slender as the waste of a virgin: and it would have been 

 much for the reputation of the two last brides that I have 

 married, had their wastes been as slender. We have just 

 covered the dirty part of the bostal with small flints. The 

 first swalloiu that I heard of was on April 6th, the first 

 nightingale April 13th. The great straddle-bob, Orion, that 

 in the winter seems to bestride my brew-house, is seen now 

 descending of an evening, on one side foremost, behind the 

 hanger. The almanack announces Venus to be an evening 

 star, but I have not seen her yet. Miss Etty is not so well 

 as could be wished : she is low and languid ; and often short- 

 breathed. Miss Layton of Alton, Mr. Charles Etty's niece, 

 is lately dead. Mrs. J. White and I thank your mother for 

 her kind letters : the former will write soon. 

 We think Mrs. Taylor an agreeable woman. 



I am, with all due respects. 



Your affect, uncle, 



Gil. White. 



* Edmund and Richard Yalden, who respectively succeeded their father, 

 the Rev. Edmund Yalden, in the vicarage of Newton Valence. 



