Genoa
19 November

My Dear Henry

I found your very amusing letter on my return from la Spezia where I had been pour me distraire. ^<1> I agree with you it’s a heavy tax on the good nature of travellers sending by them innumerable parcels, the D. of D. ^<2> had so much trouble with them when he left Rome last winter & was so smothered with them he made a resolution to decline them in future from everybody without distinction, however he is too good natured to be firm to that determination. I had a letter from him yesterday, he says the storm he was in off Leghorn was the worst Cap^t Clifford ^<3> had seen for 3 years & was dreadful, this was the night between the 30^th & 31^st October, the same which has done so much damage in various parts of England, & near Laycock abbey I see by the papers. By the same post I had likewise a letter from the Duc de Laval ^<4> who says the conversation at Rome is entirely taken up with the probability or otherwise of Demidoff’s ^<5> Plays being allowed, Demidoff having got two first rate actresses from Paris. This shews the spirit in which the new reign begins. M^r F. ^<6> is much vexed about the box sent through Lady Glengall’s ^<7> interest to the French Ambassador in London, but owing to the vessel not sailing for several Months after Freeborn said she would, the said box arrived in London after the appointment of the new Ambassador, who knew nothing of Lady G’s arrangement with his predecessor, & declined having any thing to do with it, & She unfortunately is in Ireland & too far off to explain to him, so that we fear it will all be seized before she from that distance can interfere. M^r F. persists that it is the usual ill luck which pursues all his undertakings. Certainly many of the things contained in that case would not have been bought but for the dependence on her promise of being able to get it duty free, & it is quite impossible for us to pay it upon so many objets, however he is making out a list to send to Richard about which he would have paid for & which give up, but I am sadly afraid he will make some bother amongst so many foreign idiotismes. ^<8> Dont say anything about it except to Lord Auckland, ^<9> beca ^<10> these are sventure ^<11> for which only only g[ets] laughed at & besides Lady G– would wish it kept a secret. If you were in London he would have wished you to go to the Custom House but you will be far off in Wales probably. Your D^r Percy ^<12> is a vrai original ^<13> quite a Parson Adams. ^<14> I suspect him to be Irish from his insouciante ^<15> manner of undertaking so rash a journey, & his accurate knowledge of geography & topography. We are in the act of changing our house so I am quite bothered

adieu

W. H. Fox Talbot Esq^r
31 Sackville Street
London
Inghilterra

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Notes:

1. To take my mind off things.

2. Probably Sir William George Spencer Cavendish, 6^th Duke of Devonshire (1790–1858).

3. See Doc. No: 01299.

4. Adrien de Montmorency, Duke of Laval (1768–1837).

5. Possibly Count Nikolai Demidoff (1773–1867). [See Doc. No: 01055].

6. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.

7. Mother of Lady Charlotte Butler, who was to marry Kit Talbot in December 1835.

8. Idioms, idiomatic expressions.

9. George Eden, 1^st Earl of Auckland (1784–1849), Governor General of India.

10. Text torn away under seal.

11. Misfortunes.

12. See Doc. No: 01111.

13. Real eccentric.

14. Fictional character in Henry Feilding’s Joseph Andrews (1742).

15. Carefree.