Rome
Saturday April 14^th 1849

My dear Henry

It is so very long since we have heard from any of you, that we are almost beginning to feel uneasy at such a continued silence - & now that we are actually beginning to think of departing, we shall not be able to hear unless you write very soon indeed. I wrote to you last on the 24^th Feb^y - & heard from Amandier ^<1> but since her's of the 6^th I have not received a line from any soul in England, except M^r Montgomerie, ^<2> who has been much better this winter he says. I hope dear Constance ^<3> has been improving since the winter was over, & that Amandier has not had any of her bad attacks again - & I also hope you have had some London advice for C. That is a point which ought never to be neglected, especially when people have been going on long with the same opinions. I long to hear - & if you will write directly, I am sure the letter will still reach me - but direct to the care of Mess^rs Macbean ^<4> 93 Piazza di Spagna for fear of accident - as he will forward it - But we shall not move I think till the beginning of May - & shall most likely go by sea to Marseilles - & thence perhaps by the South of France to Paris - But of course will let you duly know - only please write subito ^<5> - that we may ensure hearing once more before we go.

The news today is that in consequence of the National Guard of Florence having had a collision with, & having beat the Guardia Mobilizzita of Leghorn, a new Provisional Gov^t has been appointed with powers to act in the G^d Duke's ^<6> name; & that the trees of liberty & Republican arms have been torn town. The cry now is " morte a Guerrazzi, viva il Gran Duca. ^<7>" I am delighted at this re-action if it was only to prevent the Austrians entering Tuscany. - Do not you pity the poor new King of Sardinia? ^<8> Our liberal friends here, not the Republicans, but the moderates, think Carlo Alberto ^<9> has acted heroically in abdicating I do not perhaps understand the case - but I cannot see his conduct in that light. - Here we are all quiet - though they seem to expect a re-action shortly too.

The Gov^t are employing immense numbers of labourers, who w^d otherwise be idle & consequently troublesome if not dangerous characters, in public works - most of them useful - One of them is a new road to avoid an excessively steep hill on the Via Flaminia, w^h being ordered by Sterbini ^<10> I call the Via Sterbinia - the meadows thereabouts are literally white with lovely narcissus Tazzetta. There must have been more than a thousand men at work in a very short space. They are also excavating in the Forum, & have cut down half the trees planted by the French 50 years ago. I always regret seeing trees cut down - but if they really clear out the whole Forum, it will be an interesting undertaking. They are now busy near the pillar of Phocas, & have discovered some remains supposed to be the Basilica Giulia ^<11> -

We made a charming expedition the other day with Jane & C^{o <12>} & a pleasant party to Ostia - The ruined Castle is delightfully picturesque & very curious, with a single Stone Pine close to it. From thence we drove two miles to Castel Fusano an old fortified house of the Chigi family in the middle of a Stone Pine Forest! The Staircase is as steep & narrow as a ladder, in order to push down the pirates when they attempted to enter. The drive to the sea is charming - thro' a wilderness of Stone pines, old Ilex, oaks, bays, myrtles Arbutus, Erica arborea, Daphne Collinum Narcissus & such Cyclamens!!!

Good bye dear Henry - Love to Constance & all - please write now - as if you delay we may miss the letter -

Y^rs aff^ly in haste
Caroline

Annie ^<13> is gone to Trifari, as her husband is named Commandant. We heard f^m Captⁿ Key ^<14> that nothing c^d exceed the enthusiasm at Palermo - women, priests & children even worked at the fortifications - We hear alas! that Catania has already fallen - but the Swiss decline serving again or forlorn hopes, as the Neapolitans instead of supporting them leave them to be massacred^<15> - Addio -

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Notes:

1. Amélina Petit De Billier, 'Mamie', 'Amandier' (1798-1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].

2. Rev George Stephen Molyneux Montgomerie Rev (1790-1850), close friend of Talbot family, artist, Rector of Garboldisham, near Thetford, Norfolk.

3. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811-1880), WHFT's wife.

4. See Doc. No: 06216.

5. Right away.

6. Leopold II, Duke of Tuscany (1797-1870).

7. Death to Guerazzi, long live the Grand Duke. Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi (1804-1873)was a Tuscan writer and politician.

8. Victor Emmanuel II (1820-1878), King of Sardinia (1849-1861) and 1st King of united Italy (1861-1878).

9. Carlo Alberto (1798-1849), King of Sardinia.

10. Petro Sterbini (1795-1863), Minister of Commerce and Public Works at Rome in 1848-1849, until the fall of the Republic.

11. This commemorated the Emperor Phocas confering the title of Universal Bishop on the Bishop of Rome in 606AD.

12. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796-1874).

13. Caroline's husband's niece through his sister, Lady Caroline Sophia Edgcumbe (d. 10 April 1824), who was the first wife of Reginald George Macdonald (d. 1873). Earlier in 1848, Annie Sarah (sometimes Sarah Anne) married Alfredo Salvatori Ruggioro Andrea, Baron Porceilli di Sant Andrea, a Sicilian nobleman and revolutionary commander.

14. Sir Astley Cooper Key (1821-1888), admiral; commanded the Bulldog steamer in the Mediterranean from 1847 to 1850.

15. When Ferdinand II reasserted control of Sicily in 1848-1849, he used Swiss troups; Palermo and Catania were devastated.