Sunday Jany 19th 1834
Welcome home, my dear Talbot –
kead milh faltheagh! <1> both to Madame <2> & yourself, and I leave you to translate this Greek to her.
Lady Elisabeth <3> forgot after all to give me her Constant Baron’s <4> direction, and I now inclose a my letter, begging that it may be despatched to him tomorrow. It will also be very kind of you to frank the other letter, which is on business, to Sergeant Merewether for me. <5>
Ever most truly yours
T. Moore
Henry F. Talbot Esqre M.P.
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. ‘Cead mìle fàilte’, a hundred thousand welcomes.
2. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
3. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
4. Baron de Constant, cousin to Benjamin Constant (1767–1830), French politician and novelist. [See Doc. No: 02610].
5. As an MP, WHFT had franking privileges and was entitled to free postage. Members commonly gave signed covers or envelopes to friends. At the time, the recipient paid for postage (to ensure that the letter was delivered). This arrangement was withdrawn in January 1840 with the introduction of the Penny Post, which instituted uniform costs and pre-paid stamps. Henry Alworth Merewether, snr (1780–1864), author, barrister, Town Clerk of London & Sergeant-at-Law. For his involvement with Moore, see see Doc. No: 02284.