216 GILBEKT WHITE OF SELBOENE. 1790 



Stamford, and brother to the Earl of Exeter." What makes 

 me wonder is, because this man was always represented 

 formerly as little better than an idiot! Now you talk of 

 biography, have you seen the life of Mr. Elwes, late member 

 for Berkshire ? 



D'* Chandler and Lady, who have been abroad almost 

 four years, and who returned from the continent only last 

 February, have borrowed "Selborne parsonage-house for the 

 summer, and came to reside last week. The D*" who is an 

 unsettled man, likes this method of procuring an habitation, 

 because it looks so like not settling. Eoaming about becomes 

 a habit with Gentry, as well as mendicants ; who, when they 

 have once taken up a strolling life, can never be perswaded 

 to stay at their own parishes. The Lady is very big with 

 child, and sent for her midwife this morning: so they 

 reached Selborne just in time. They brought a little son 

 with them, a pretty boy, who was born at Eolle in Switzer- 

 land, as it were by accident, while they were posting home 

 for England. The D*^ seems to like his child better, because 

 he is not sure in what kingdom he was begotten^ whether at 

 Naples, or at Eome, or at Florence, or where. Eome is the 

 place that the D"" admires, where he can have his fill of 

 Virtii : he has, I find, secret languishings to return to that 

 capital ; to study in the Vatican, and to dine with Cardinals. 

 In his passage to Italy they hired a ship at Marseilles, which 

 was to land them at Civita Vecchia : for some time they had 

 such prosperous gales that the master told them they would 

 be at their destination presently. But as they approached 

 Italy such squalls came off from the Apennine, that after 

 beating about for some days, and fearing that they must 

 have run for some harbour in Sardinia, they with difficulty 

 made Porto Longone in the isle of Elba. Their return from 

 Eolle in November last was singular enough. Not daring to 

 venture through France, they set out for Basle : here they 

 went 50 miles to the right to see the falls of Schaffhausen ! ! 



