Rottingdean <1>
Septbr 23rd 1810 –
My Dear Mamma,
I did not write to you for a long while, because I had nothing to say – I will now tell you about the garden. White Lavatera is only a mallow, with a large, pink, showy flower. Alkekengè <2> buds are about as big as this when they blow <illustration> but this is more like the bud <illustration> – Several of the flowers are in seed, as Roman Nettle, Cyanus, Cantania, Yellow Hawkweed, & Moldavian Balm, Marvel of Peru does not seem inclined to blow at all, so I wish you would send me a description of its flowers. I will shew you what the flowers are like – Alkekengè is like this <illustration> small & several leaves jagged at the edge & of a very dark green. Cantania is thus <illustration> – its flower is this <illustration> F. Manning – J. Smith – G. Smith <3> – &? Bowden went to the play last night a man incautiously put a gun too near a womans face & shot her, she was a good deal hurt.
Your affectionate son
W. H. F. Talbot
To
Lady Elizabeth Feilding
31 Sackville Street
London
Notes:
1. Rottingdean, East Sussex, 4 mi SE of Brighton: WHFT attended school there from 1808–1811.
2. Physalis Alkakengi. [See Doc. No: 00516].
3. George Smith and James Smith.