270 CORRESPONDENCE OF GILBERT WHITE 



frogs last Spring, and the gentlewoman seemed to be a toad. 

 She walked not jumped, her belly was the ash colour with 

 black spots, & the colour of her back like the toad. I am ig- 

 norant of the characteristic marks of either of y r gentry. I 

 was pleased long ago with the rows of Oakes by Odiham, 

 as growing well upon unpromising Land. But i have seen 

 great Oakes upon absolute sand, viz Ld Thanet's in "West- 

 moreland* was 31 F. 9 I. round in 1765 & M r Lemon's at 

 Northaw Herts, whose top was the largest i ever saw : some 

 arms extended full 60 feet from the trunk, which was 19. feet 

 7 In. round: i could not omit this in y e paper on y e increase 

 of Trees in y e Ph. Trans. 1759. We have only the Oak with 

 the long stalk to the acorn, & the leaf without stalk. I thought 

 the Oaks in Sussex, & many other Counties more pleasing 

 trees than in Norfolk; but i did not observe the leaves. I re- 

 member near Ucfield, in the road from London to Herstmon- 

 ceux, an Oak with yellow leaves ; which struck me as very 

 curious, & my good friend Naylor got me some of the acorns, 

 but none grew. I presume you have noticed this Oak, as i 

 have heard of another with leaves as yellow as the Elm in 

 autumn. 



In answer to your last Article, i was a young fellow in 

 1733 when many Counties were inflamed with contested Elec- 

 tions (when S 1 ' S. Stuart lost his Election by 2 in your 

 County) & engaged warmly in that new amusement: & drank 

 & smoked for the Cause, although i relished neither. But old 

 age, that blunts the edge of all passions & my seeing, accord- 

 ing to Pope "how like, Whig ministers to Tory," has 



cooled my party zeal : & i feel myself satisfied with giving my 

 vote for a friend, without enquiring about his party. So if 

 you had asked me my party, i can hardly tell you. But i 

 will add, that i love the King, & the Constitution, & am dis- 

 liked by both parties. 



Two articles of your letter vex me, viz. that your infirmities 



deprive me of the pleasure of seeing you in Norfolk ; the 



other, that in naming me, you have struck out the wordfriend, 



& put correspondent. I should have been proud, to be called 



* [At Whinfield Park (Loudon, ut mpra, p. 1771).— A. N.] 



