Castleford <1>
August 30th 1816.
My Dear Mamma,
When I was at Harrow <2> I knew nothing of Algebra, & very little of Euclid, therefore I have made a considerable progress here. But now I am sure I can go on perfectly well by myself, if it were any object to go on further at present, which Mr Barnes <3> seems to think not. As I have never made any Latin composition since I left Harrrow, of course I have lost a great deal of the facility I possessed in it. I do not like Mr Barnes’s method of instruction – It is evidently his object to have lessons over as soon as possible; therefore my object naturally becomes the same. I learn part of some classic author every day, but this I could do equally as well anywhere else, because I know Greek & Latin too well to make any mistake – You understand me? When I have learned my Horace <4> or my Homer what difference does it make, whether I construe it to Mr Barnes, or to the door-post? He never corrects anything, but is content with the literal meaning, without digressing into minutić – Besides I dislike very much his practice of hearing more than one lesson at a time, in order to save time.
I should learn a great deal more at a time, if the construing were not so tedious. You seem to entertain no very favourable ideas of my home capacities – Of one thing however you may be satisfied, that I could do more there than I can here, in the same time. At any rate I am convinced that I do not receive any benefit here, at all proportionable to the expense. We had a glim[pse] of fine weather on Tuesday & Wednesday, but it is now, (viz. Friday) cold & cloudy. I remain,
Yr Affte Son
W. H. F. Talbot
The Lady E. Feilding
Melbury
Notes:
1. Castleford, Yorkshire, 10 mi SE of Leeds, where WHFT went to school from 1815-1816.
2. Harrow School: WHFT attended from 1811–1815 and his son Charles from 1855-1859.
3. Rev Theophilus Barnes (1774 –1855), of Castleford.
4. Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) (65–8 BC), Roman poet.