OF SELBORNE. 539 



much busied in painting white with his own hands the tops 

 of the foot-path posts, that his neighbours might not be in- 

 jured by running against them in the dark. His whole 

 mind seemed replete with experiment, which of course gave 

 a tincture, and turn to his conversation, often somewhat 

 peculiar, but always interesting. He used to lament to my 

 father, how tedious a task it was to convince men, that 

 sweet air was better than foul, alluding to his ventilators ; 

 and once told him, with some degree of emotion, that the 

 first time he went on board a ship in harbour at Portsmouth, 

 the officers were rude to him ; and that he verily believed 

 he should never have prevailed to have seen his ventilators 

 in use in the Royal Navy, had not Lord Sandwich, then First 

 Lord of the Admiralty, abetted his pursuits in a liberal 

 manner, and sent him down to the Commissioners of the 

 dock with letters of recommendation. It should not be 

 forgotten that ou,. friend, under the patronage of Sir Joseph 

 Jekyll, was instrumental in procuring the Gin Act, and 

 stopping that profusion of spirituous liquors which threat- 

 ened to ruin the morals and constitutions of our common 

 people at once. 1 He used to say, that the hogs of distillers 

 were more brutal than the hogs of other men ; and that, 

 when drunk, they used to bite pieces out of each other's 

 backs and sides ! With due respects I remain, 



Your most humble servant, 



GIL. WHITE. 



I did myself the honour of writing to you very lately 

 about trees, and other matters. This winter continues wet 

 and mild : wet springs are bad for Selborne. My crocuses 

 make a fine show. 



1 The name of Dr. Stephen Hales, says his biographer, is to be re- 

 membered with respect as an early advocate of Temperance, in the 

 cause of which, as before stated, he indited numerous sermons and 

 tracts. ED. 



