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Document number: 1011
Date: 14 Oct 1822
Postscript: evening, 16 Oct
Recipient: FEILDING Charles
Author: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: LA22-55
Last updated: 14th December 2010

Leghorn,

14th October, 1822

My Dear Mr Feilding,

We were 8 hours ¼ going to Lucca, and then a full hour looking for rooms, which fortunately we found at the Croce di Malta <1> just as we began to despair, having tried every other Inn in the town in vain - We were too happy to pay them their own price, 5 sequins <2> for that night, & 2 for the next. - the rooms however were handsome, & I recommend the Inn. You never saw a town so full in your life, 4 or 5 carriages arrived at the Croce di Malta after us, & were turned away - No dinner however was to be had at the inn, so we adjourned to a Restaurateur's, but dinner was not on the table till 9 oclock, and at 10 we went home, and went to bed - A box at the Opera cost 40 pauls aux quatrièmes, & 80 aux troisièmes, <3> so my mother <4> would not go - Next day we went to the Baths, <5> & were greatly pleased with their beauty - I saw the observatory of Marlia <6> & had the pleasure of making acquaintance with the celebrated astronomer Pons, <7> who is director of it; - Delightful weather these two days, but on Monday, between Lucca & Pisa we encountered a most pelting storm; we dined at Pisa, but it was too wet to see anything, so we resolved to see it going back, & proceeded to Leghorn to this excellent Inn.

16th October, Evening,

Yesterday at sunset it was fine, & we had a beautiful view of the coast as far as Spezia, the islands of Gorgona Capraja, Corsica, & Elba, all which we saw perfectly. But today alas! it has poured torrents all day, and we seem likely to stay here a week. The vessel Thomson <8> wrote you word of, the "Mediterranean Packet" is just come in from St John's, Newfoundland. - No news of the Box. Montgomerie <9> & my mother are so charmed with the Baths of Lucca, that they mean to go back the same way, & see them again. Bye the bye, all the company were gone, the inhabitants of Casa Valeri had shut up shop, & we were obliged to content ourselves with a morsel at the "Minerva." We drove home to Lucca in 2 hours. We have beat the postmaster by Giovanni's <10> good management, and go with only 2 horses - nevertheless we drove from Pisa here in 2 hours & from Lucca to Pisa in something less -

Yours afftly
Henry Talbot

À Monsieur
Monsieur Feilding

No 4380 Piazza Sta Maria Novella
Firenze


Notes:

1. Genoa.

2. An Italian gold coin of the time.

3. 'Pauls', an Italian silver coin, 40 'for the fourth' and 80 'for the third'.

4. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773-1846), WHFT's mother.

5. See Doc. No: 00320.

6. Marlia near Lucca, Italy.

7. Jean-Louis Pons (1761-1831). He discovered numerous comets.

8. See Doc. No: 01002.

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

10. Giovanni Percij, London servant to the Feildings and Talbots.

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