Geneva
Sunday Aug 3d
My dear Henry –
You will be glad to see by the Date that we are at last arrived after a very long & fatiguing Journey, which however has had no bad effects at least on Horatia, <1> if it has failed, as I fear we must acknowledge it has, in doing her any good – She seems just the same – better in fine weather, & painy & uncomfortable when it is damp – We have a delightful House, & plenty of room, but farther from the Lake than I should have chosen – your Mother <2> however is satisfied & we are near Caroline, <3> who is going on as perfectly as possible – looking as if nothing had happened, the child <4> seems to me small, but they say it is all right – Your Mother & Horatia are rather indignant at not finding any Letter from you here but I conclude we shall hear in a day or two – The Road from Besancon [sic] & indeed from Gray all the way to Geneva exceeded our expectations – we were caught in a fine thunder storm owing to want of Horses between Salins & Champagnolles [sic] which I enjoyed more than your Mother – at Champlitte we had an adventure not over agreable – the Gendarme who asked to see our passports chose to imagine that they were not en regle <5> – the only shadow of an excuse for which was my having omitted to sign my Name, he began to ask all sorts of Questions, ending by his saying he must take me before le Maire <6> – I expected to find him a man of some sense, but whether he has none or whether it was overcome by the excitement of the rejoicing for the day (29 July) & his anxiety to distinguish himself by shewing his vigilance & proving that he at least would not have left Don Carlos <7> pass – I do not know, but he said que c’etoit [sic] un cas très grave, <8> & that he must send me a Prisoner to Gray – he however allowed your Mother & the rest to go on, making me wait till his Gendarmes were ready – about an Hour – We then started au pas <9> – for they would not tire their Horses, – & at last arrived creating a great sensation particularly as every creature was in the streets – the Gendarmes then talked of taking me to Prison or being paid for guarding me at the Inn – I resisted stoutly & said I would have the business settled at once – after a space came the commissaire of Police – who was the greatest scoundrel I ever saw – the most intraitable <10> & I began to think that to prison I shd have to go, when the Procureur du Roi <11> arrived – who proved to be a sensible straightforward man – & he soon settled the business – to the great annoyance of the Commissaire & the Gendarmes – I shall of course write to Lord Granville <12> & make a formal complaint for the sake of others, & in the Hope of some punishment being inflicted on the Perpetrator of this enormity – it is really too much to be stopped at Champlitte when one has passed quietly through Calais & all the fortified Town [sic] in the North of France – Valletort <13> has heard so much of the Baths of Aix en Savoie <14> as being beneficial for Rheumatic attacks that we think of going there with Hor: for what they call a Cure which takes about 3 weeks – but we have not yet seen any medical man. I am very glad you are enjoying yourself at Lacock – Please to open Mr Jones’s Letter which I conclude only contains an acknowledgement of having recd some money – should there be a paragraph to any other purport you may copy it in your next it should seem that your Parliamentary Labors are nearly ended – Pray write soon. We have plenty of Room for you & C. <15> & you may occupy Voltaires <16> own library, & be stimulated thereby to some great literary undertaking
God bless you
C. F
H. F. Talbot Esqre
Angleterre
31 Sackville St
London
Notes:
1. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
2. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
4. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.
5. In order.
6. The Mayor.
7. Carlos Maria Isidro ‘Don Carlos’ (1788–1855), Carlist claimant to the Spanish throne. In July 1834 he made his way through France to join his followers.
8. It was a very serious case.
9. At walking pace.
10. Inflexible.
11. The King’s Prosecutor/Royal Procurator.
12. Granville George Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl of Granville (1815–1891), MP & diplomat.
13. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
14. That is, Aix les Bains.
15. François Marie Arouet, ‘Voltaire’ (1694–1778), author and philosopher. The Feilding’s were staying at his house, ‘Les Delices’ in Geneva. [See Doc. No: 02937] .
16. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.