Letter 2d
Berne
1st Sepr <1>
Carissimo Enrico <2>
I feel for you waiting at Martigny & not going to the Waterfall, as there is nothing I dislike so much as the aspettare e non venire <3> myself, it is if possible worse than the Star in letto e non dormire. <4> But we all envy you your Snow island, Hor. <5> thinks it very odd you have the luck of finding out such out of the way things, I tell her it is because you look for them, She will not find them on the Platteform. We have had several small projects but they have been all prevented by the Weather and a fête champêtre <6> has been cruelly frustrated by the same enemy, to which Car. <7> & Hor. were to have gone for the first time in their lives, so you may judge of their disappointment, it was to have been given yesterday by the Russian Envoy, but it poured without ceasing the livelong day, & at night there arose such a hurricane suddenly as alarmed the whole population. It lasted less than half an hour, & in that time whisked about branches of Trees & Shutters you never heard such a clatter as all the jalousies & volets made in the neighborhood, I thought all the Doors in the house were gone mad, & there was a bruit lourd <8> in the air, il Signor Vento grommelait entre ses dents. <9> Mr M. <10> gathered a curious Sedum for you somewhere in the Schwartzwaldthal but that arch enemy of the Sciences yclept <11> Ambroisine sent it the way of all flesh. You have been gone a whole week which seems long & I have had but one letter. I have [illegible] heart to send this, thinking the Postmaster at Martigny may be of the same étoffe <12> as at Glaris. M. Müller says Hor. has a surprising disposition by nature for languages, she hardly had him 3 times but she seems to go on very glibly. Lord Ingestrie <13> [sic] & his brother Mr Talbot <14> have been travelling about Swisserland [sic] with their Tutor & most likely he has got your letters at Glaris, <15> for which reason I take especial care in the direction now. You can’t think what a lovely Drawing Mr M. has made at St Beat’s Höhle <16> on the Thunersee –
Leb wohl, Ich bin deine redliche freundinn <17>
Theresia
Monsr
Monsieur W. H. F. Talbot
anglais
Poste Restante
Martigny
Bas Valais
en Suisse
Notes:
1. Letter dates from 1821, with reference to WHFT’s visit to Martigny. [See Doc. No: 00938].
2. Dearest Henry.
3. Awaiting and not arriving; expecting something that does no happen.
4. Lying in bed and not sleeping.
5. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
6. Pastoral scene.
7. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
8. Heavy noise.
9. The Lord of the Winds growling between his teeth.
10. Possibly Rev George Stephen Molyneux Montgomerie (1790–1850), artist, Norwich.
11. Called.
12. Material, grit; of the same character.
13. Charles Thomas Chetwynd Talbot, Viscount Ingestre (1802–1826).
14. Probably Henry John Chetwynd Talbot, 18th Earl Shrewsbury, 5th Baron Talbot (1803–1868).
15. Glarus. [See Doc. No: 00934].
16. Cave.
17. Farewell, I am your true friend,