Markeaton
Nov^r 9.

My dear Henry

I need scarcely say how very sorry we all were that you could not screw up your courage to come & see us – especially as you would have found Matilda looking so well & I hope enjoying her visit as much as we all are enjoying the pleasure of having her with us. – We are delighted too, to make better acquaintance with her very agreable Husband & now I do hope we may contrive to see more of each other for the future. – I have been very much engaged or I should have written before to thank you for the lovely Flower pieces you sent me. We think the Quaking Grass & Poppy particularly exquisite & I assure you they are extremely prized. Noel is going to put in a little note as he has been most eager to obtain the very Tacsonia you so kindly mention – In sending the Cuttings please to ask the Gardener to send them with an end of hard wood if he possibly can; as without that it is very difficult to strike Many kinds of plants. – I wish you would come & see our garden &c some day – but! – I nearly despair.

Y^r very Aff^te Cousin
H G Mundy

[envelope:]
Henry Talbot Esq^re.
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham