Saturday
30th July
Dear Henry
I enclose a letter from My Sister, <1> by which you will see what she wants you to subscribe to, which of course you will, as I shall also, but you had better write & answer for yourself. Chevalier Bunsen & Dr Lepsius <2> both came to my Music Party, & seemed desirous of going down to you, but fixed nothing. I shall see Bunsen tonight at Ly Palmerston's <3> & will try to make him decide one way or other that I may ask Babbage <4> selon les circonstances. <5> I am going this Morning by his invitation to see some Electric experiments. Amélina <6> says M. Comte has agreed to let Kalotypes <7> come thro' him to her. Pray send the very best to Paris.
Lord Eastnor <8> who was here my [sic] musical soirée, I believe has carried off the German pampthlet [sic] which Lepsius left here with you. Does it signify? Shall I require Lord E- to refund it? or leave it to his bonne volonté. <9> It happened to be one of the few things laying [sic] about, & had been perused by Bunsen before Lord Eastnor came. A letter from Caroline <10> says Charlie <11> is better
Notes:
1. Louisa Emma Petty Fitzmaurice, née Fox Strangways, Marchioness of Lansdowne (1785-1851), wife of Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne; Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, 1837-1838; WHFT's aunt. Her letter has not been located.
2. Chevalier Christian Karl Josias Bunsen (1761-1860), German diplomat and scholar; Prussian Ambassador in London from 1841-1854; created Freiherr von Bunsen in 1857. Dr Karl Richard Lepsius (1810-1884), German Egyptologist.
3. Lady Emily Lamb Palmerston (1787-1869).
4. Prof Charles Babbage (1792-1871), mathematician & inventor.
5. According to the circumstances.
6. Amélina Petit De Billier, 'Mamie', 'Amandier' (1798-1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
7. WHFT used the spelling calotype, but Sir John Heschel and others used Kalotype. Sometimes family and friends, honouring the inventer, called these Talbotypes, in parallel with the Daguerreotype.
8. Charles Somers, 3rd Earl Somers, Viscount Eastnor (1810-1883).
9. Good will.
10. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808-1881); WHFT's half-sister.
11. Charles Earnest Edgcumbe (1838-1915), JP, WHFT's nephew.