Harrow <1>
July 18. 1811.
Dear Mamma,
I am still very unhappy, I will give you an account of what I have done since I wrote to you last: in the first place I must tell you I have really not had half an hour to myself since then: on Tuesday morning my nose still continuing to bleed, Dr Butler <2> gave me some Epsom salts, which did very little that day, not much on Wednesday, but this morning I had very violent pains in my stomach, & was very faint as I am now, I feel very ill, & have got a pain in my head besides; just as I used to have at school &, at home, only more painful, I wish you would come & see me or send me word what I ought to do: I am learning all day, I say six or seven pages of the Greek Grammar in the course of the day, in short I cannot write. any account of myself is very simple & short – yesterday I was well & happy, this morning ill & unhappy –
Goodbye – I have so many things to say to you that I do not recollect them all, I will tell you when I see you which I hope will be soon, come & see me your face would do me good – There are many ridiculous customs here one of which is that I may only have one waistcoat a week, so mine is very dirty, & another is that we must wear the same cloathes <sic> on Sunday as on any other day –
After Dinner. I have a violent headache & in all other respects feel very unwell, come & see me soon
Yr Affte Son
W H F T
PS. I would be obliged to you to bring any little book for me to turn into French as you wish –Lady Elisabeth Feilding,
31 Sackville St
London
Notes:
1. Harrow School: WHFT attended from 1811–1815 and his son Charles from 1855-1859.
2. Rev George Butler (1774–1853), Headmaster at Harrow.