Teplitz
Saturday August 21st 1841
My dear Henry
I hope you have answered my long letter of the 5th although I cannot expect to receive your answer till the 26th at the very earliest – I got Mama’s <1> marked via Hamburgh in ten days, which is I believe the quickest way – Since then I have had a long letter from Ld Munster <2> who is at Munich, entreating me to obtain from you all information you can give as to the art of Photography, in order to obtain fac similes of Oriental manuscripts in different public Libraries – He says that “before he left England, he established a Society for printing Original texts of the Eastern languages in order to put into the hands of Students & others, works only to be met with in public Libraries & that your wonderful discovery wd be the means of carrying into effect his objects better than all the printing in the world” – He adds, “In these times the object of Science & of invention is to benefit, & I shall be very grateful if you will kindly mention to yr Brother my wish to be fully informed on the whole process – as I shd like to commence our publications by his admirable discovery rather than by that useless, antiquated, absurd system called printing“ – of course you can tell as much or as little as you please; but you see that you wd be benefiting science if at any rate you wd communicate what has been already published – for instance if you wd send him, yr pointed letter to the Royal Society <3> – as tho’ we have made some ourselves, I have quite forgotten the process now – If you comply with his request, you had better send the information to me – or if it is bulky then send it direct to him, at Munich which [illegible deletion] will be his headquarters for the next two months. – I wrote to Mamma, tell her with my tender love, the day before yesterday, marked No 1. I have had no tidings of Horatia, <4> but the one letter I mentioned fm Wiesbaden. Ernest <5> has begun the Baths again, & seems tolerably, considering all things – We shall most likely stay here all next month – Pe Radzivil <6> is sitting with him now, talking politics – he is a Prussian Pole, & talks English perfectly – I hope you will bring Mama abroad ein bischen später <7> – it wd do you so much good! you will find us a little wee bit improved in Latin – Charlie <8> speaks very little; but says he can “ nichs [sic] Deutsch Sprechen <9>” & that ja means yes, & oui too –
yrs affly
Caroline
Notes:
1. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
2. George Augustus Frederick Fitzclarence, 1st Earl of Munster (1794–1842). [See Doc. No: 04318].
3. Royal Society of London.
4. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
5. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
6. Probably a misspelling for Prince Radzivill.
7. A little later.
8. Charles Earnest Edgcumbe (1838–1915), JP, WHFT’s nephew.
9. Not speak German.
10. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795–1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.
11. Hohen–Schwangau.
12. Original handwriting has been squeezed onto the edge of the page.
13. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
14. Ela Theresa Talbot (25 Apr 1835 - 25 Apr 1893), WHFT's 1st daughter; Rosamond Constance Talbot (16 Mar 1837 - 7 May 1906), 'Rose'; 'Monie'; artist & WHFT's 2nd daughter; died & buried at San Remo, Italy, with a memorial at Lacock; Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, née Talbot (25 Feb 1839-1927), 'Tilly', WHFT's 3rd daughter.
15. Elizabeth (Bessie) Moore, née Dyke (1783–1865), wife of the poet Thomas Moore.
16. Matilda Feilding (1775-1849), WHFT's 'aunt' - sister of Charles Feilding, his stepfather.
17. Prince Charles of Prussia.