Harrow <1>
April 18. 1815.
My Dear Mamma,
I did not wish my Weeds to be kept any longer: - the Weather is grown so extremely cold again, that we continue to have fires. They began today to play Cricket matches, which is earlier than usual. - The seeds which William <2> brought from Vienna, germinated, but were eat by slugs. This time will be very long, as it does not finish till the 24th July. - My Watch goes wretchedly as usual, stops, & goes on again without reason, & loses horridly. It is now too slow, four hours & an half. - Mr Hy Drury is dangerously ill. <3> - A boy of the name of Rose ran away the other day, & was brought back by his friends, - & in about half an hour ran away again, since which he has not been heard of. Mr Sheepshanks has come back, but walks on Crutches, which together with his name gives one rather an unfavourable idea of his agility. A travelling menagerie has arrived at Harrow, consisting of the usual complement of Lions, Tigers, Leopards, Panthers, Jackalls, Monkeys & Macaws. Among them is an Unfortunate Monkey, who had his arm shot off on board the Victory at Trafalgar. - I do not know whether Government allows him a pension as a disabled mariner. And he lost the other by being too impertinent to the Leopard his neighbour, who one day snapped it off. Pray tell me what you think of Buonaparte's <4> proceedings, especially with regard to the Duke d'Angouleme, <5> & also what you think of B.'s <6> letter: - And any other political topics you like
Write to me on every topic
From the pole, unto the tropic
Esquimaux er Æthiopic - <7>
I remain, Yr Affte Son
W. H. F. Talbot.
Lady Elisabeth Feilding
31 Sackville St.
London
Notes:
1. Harrow School: WHFT attended from 1811-1815 and his son Charles from 1855-1859.
2. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795-1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.
3. Henry Joseph Thomas Drury (1778-1841), schoolmaster to Byron, an educator and classicist who was the son of a previous Headmaster at Harrow.
4. Napoleon I, Emperor of France (1804-1814/1815).
5. Louis-Antoine de Bourbon, Duc d'Angoulême (1775-1844), last dauphin of France and a prominent figure in the restoration of the Bourbon line after the defeat of Napoleon in 1814. [For Lady Elizabeth's reaction on the Duke's recent release from Napoleon see Doc. No: 00645].
6. Buonaparte reportedly wrote to the King of France, complaining of his ill treatment at Elba and subsequent impoverishment.
7. Topics ranging as widely as from Eskimo (polar cold) to Ethiopian (tropical heat).
8. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776- 3 February 1855), WHFT's aunt. Her 2nd marriage, on 28 April 1815, was to Capt Sir Christopher Cole (1770 - 24 Aug 1836).