OF SELBOENE. 537 



at Thorney in the Isle of Ely, to settle an executorship, 

 and dispose of live stock ; there I lost nine oxen by their 

 eating yew, as mentioned in my book. 1 I hope you will 

 write not long hence. With the truest respect and esteem 

 I remain, 



Your most humble servant, 



GIL. WHITE. 



The dark butterfly which you saw was the papilio urticce : 

 it is often more early than the yellow papilio rhamni. At 

 this moment the Barometer stands somewhat below 28 in. 

 5 tens ! the rain this day has been very great from the 



S.E. 



LETTER III. 



TO ROBERT MARSH AM, ESQUIRE. 



SELBORNE, Feb. 25th, 1791. 



;T was elegantly remarked on our common 

 friend, and my quondam, neighbour Doctor 

 Stephen Hales, by one who has written his 

 character in Latin, that " scientiam philo- 

 sophicam usibus humanis famulari jussit." 2 

 The observation was just, and the assertion no inconsider- 

 able compliment : for undoubtedly speculative enquiries can 

 bear no competition with practical ones, where the latter 

 profess never to lose sight of utility. 



1 See Letter Y. on the Antiquities of Selborne, p. 420. ED. 



2 This line was written by Dr. John Burton, and will be found in 

 his " Opuscula Miscellanea Metrico-Prosaica" (1771) p. 55. Dr 

 Burton has himself been eulogized as " a man whose liberality of senti- 

 ment always induced him to pay public respect to those whom he es- 

 teemed deserving of it." See the "Gentleman's Magazine," April, 1780, 

 p. 166. ED. 



