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Result number 53 of 997:   < Back     Back to results list   Next >  

Document number: 544
Date: 28 Jul 1811
Recipient: FEILDING Elisabeth Theresa, née Fox Strangways
Author: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Collection: Royal Photographic Society Coll, National Media Museum, Bradford
Collection number: T/2 1289
Last updated: 26th May 2010

[This youthful letter is highly exuberant and stylised, with multiple variations of handwriting.]

Harrow, <1>

July XXVIII A.D MDCCCXI <2>

My Dear Mamma,

Since it is inconvenient to you to fetch me tuesday EVENING, I have no objection to go with Finch <3> Wednesday Morning

This is an odd letter,

Goodbye

Yr affte Son
WHF Talbot

Fac similes of Writing <4>

Guillima Enrecho Vulpo da Talbot –

My best compliments to Caroline, <5> my respects to Horatia <6> my reverences to Nurse etc. – Charcoal Ho! Charcoal!

Turn over

Anbedebedmovedbed<7> ofdemylab oratory?

La lit est elle dans mon alchemistique laboratoire? <8>

J’ai fini. <9>

Odd letter –
Fear not, neither burn,
Keep not, neither save
Make no butter in my churn
Goodbye. Goodbye –

opinions of the Reviewers on this letter

This foolish letter means nothing, it it is only an effusion of the brain – Edinburgh Review – August 1807

The author of this letter, is not a very sensible person we believe, his letter is full of nonsense. Monthly Review. Janry 1794

We cannot speak in too high terms of this letter; the sentences detached, semiconcise, & beautiful, we wonder at the other reviews who enviously abuse it, the song is beautiful, by its novelty pleasing: the style sublime, & borrowed from Ariosto, he excells in old English & French etc. Harroveinsian Magazine

July. 1811.

Non tibi tam stultas litteras scripseram, nisi quod fatigabus sim, et paulum iratus, quod in ecclesiâ sermonem audire non potueram. <10>

I shall see you in 4000 minutes!!!

Huzza!

D Echirez cette lettre, elle a vecu trop long tems, dechirez la, sur le champ, et mettez la dans le jardin à remplir le rubbish hole, <11>

Lady Elisabeth Feilding
31 Sackville St
London


Notes:

1. Harrow School: WHFT attended from 1811–1815 and his son Charles from 1855-1859.

2. 28 AD 1811.

3. George Finch (1794–1870), JP & MP.

4. Handwriting of letter is in various styles.

5. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.

6. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.

7. Best reading possible - text obscured by blot of ink.

8. Is the bed in my alchemical laboratory?

9. I’ve finished.

10. I would not have written you such a stupid letter if I had not been tired, and a little angry because I couldn’t hear the sermon in church.

11. Tear up this letter, it has lived for too long, tear it up in the field, and put it in the garden to fill the rubbish hole.

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