[The letter is in the BL and its envelope is in the NMeM.]
Rome.
Thursday 18th
May 1848
My dear Henry
I am afraid I have not been quite so diligent in writing lately as during the revolutionary period, (when we really seized every opportunity that offered of letting friends in England know we were alive) - but the chief reason has been, besides the multiplicity of things to do & see here, that I really did not know what to say of our plans which you would naturally expect to hear something about by this time - I really could not think what they intended to do, as the time drew so near for C.'s <1> Waiting, & he really was not in a state to be left all alone here - or to undertake such a journey - nor was it very safe for her to attempt it without him in the troubled state of Europe. I was glad therefore when they made up their minds to write to the Q. <2> & ask to put off her Waiting till July wh will give a little more to [sic] arrange our return & see how things are going on in the N. of Italy. I am sorry to say, there were [sic] bad news yesterday. There certainly has been a defeat, but it is difficult to know the rights of anything here - there are so many false reports - & I trust the one of the entire body of young students that went from here to join the army except about 20, being cut to pieces, is one of them. I grieve to say poor dear P.N. <3> is not quite so popular as he was - it is very ungrateful of the Roman people but is owing to his refusing to declare war against Austria. He is certainly right to be firm on what he thinks his duty - but it is rather inconsistent with allowing the troops to march & even blessing their banners &c wh he did some time ago - I cannot bear however to think him wrong in anything. We were presented to him the other day by M. de Kestner, <4> the Han. Minister - He received us alone, in a pavillon of the garden wh is very nice in the old style with immense evergreen walls & fountains, & seemed the abode of peace & quiet. Nothing could be more gracious than his manner, & even kind when talking to Ld Mt E. <5> of his illness. He has a pleasing voice too & very distinct, as we heard when he gave the Blessing on Easter Sunday. We have seen a great deal, but far from all as yet - lately we have been going about with Mr Montgomerie, <6> who I am sorry to say sets out tonight for Norfolk - much against his will. He is only just beginning to get over his rheumatic pains & if he could have staid a little longer in the South might have got some lasting good. He is going thro' France & I hope he will not get into any troubles - Jane <7> is still here & a great comfort to us - They have not quite settled their plans for the Summer either. They had intended leaving the children here & going home for a space - but now Mr N. <8> will be afraid to leave them behind. Poor Lucy <9> wd be very glad to have staid as she now begins to feel some real improvement. There are hardly any English left. The Achesons are still in Pal. Ceva - Mr Hay & Mr Petre of course - Ld & Ly Lindsay <10> at Albano. Ld Mt E. is tolerable but I hardly hope for decided improvement till the hot weather sets in. We heard the other day fm a friend at Florence complaining of extreme cold on the road particularly at Perugia - & when the Minto's <11> wrote fm Turin they were going to cross the Mt Cenis on sledges - Here the Spring is much advanced - the roses all out in profusion - pomegranates in flower & orange trees perfuming the whole air - our little garden is very nice. I am glad to hear the children are well & poor A <12>. better at last. C. had a nice long letter fm her yesterday in answer to mine - I think we have had all yours - & the duplicates. You had better enclose to Mr MacBean 93 - Piazza di Spagna in case we shld be moved to Albano or anywhere. Adieu dear Henry write again soon to
yr affte sister
Horatia
[envelope:]
via dia Mare
Inghilterra
Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Angleterre
Notes:
1. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808-1881); WHFT's half-sister.
2. Victoria (1819-1901), Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901), Empress of India (1876-1901).
3. Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti (1792-1878), Pope Pius IX from 1846 to 1878.
4. Georg Christian August Kestner (1777-1853), art collector, lawyer, civil servant and diplomat in the service of Hannover.
5. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797-1861), WHFT's brother-in-law.
6. Rev George Stephen Molyneux Montgomerie (1790-1850), artist, Norwich.
7. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796-1874).
8. Dr John Nicholl (1797-1853), MP.
9. Lucy Mary Nicholl (1824-1876), of Merthyr Mawr.
10. Possibly George Augustus Frederick Bertie, 9th Earl of Lindsey (1814-1877) and his mother Charlotte Susanna Elizabeth Bertie, née Layard, Lady Lindsey (1780-1858).
11. Gilbert Elliot, 2nd Earl of Minto (1782-1859), Dean of Bristol; and his wife, Mary, née Brydone (d. 1853).
12. Amélina Petit De Billier, 'Mamie', 'Amandier' (1798-1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].