Brighton
July 17th
My dear Henry,
I am sorry to think I should so long have neglected you to thank you for your present of Swiss Plants & also for the numbers of letters you were so kind as to write notwithstanding my utter neglect of them. Your last letter <1> I recd at Paris the day before we left it since when we have made a little Tour in Normandy & have not had a moment to spare from either eating, sleeping, or journeying. We have been delighted with our whole Tour, the pleasantest part of which was spent at Spa. I collected a great number of plants all of which enchanted me tho’ not of the rarest. I was almost crazy at finding the Trientalis Europea one of the most delicate little beauties I ever saw but spoils in the drying lamentably I found Phyteuma spicata in the Bois de Cambre with both blue & white flowers it was also very abundant at Spa. I should certainly have you to search round your old Château at Cantelen[?] if we had stayed longer at Rouen but it requires a day & a half to see all the town contains. I saw a most exquisite Swallow tailed Butterfly on St Catherines hill but it was impossible to catch him he was so sly; perhaps you may recollect having seen them & know their names. I found the Asclepeus Vinutorium in abundance on the banks of the Mense & also between Matr & Paris together with the Digitalis parviflora – I should so like to shew you what I have got & get you to help me name them! Before we go on our projected Tour to Switzerland & Italy I shall certainly supply myself with some help for I fear I have missed many ugly looking things of great value by not having some book of reference. I envy your tour to the Tyrol <2> it is the Country above all others I wish most to see. I hope you will let us know how you find the Inns & posting. I need not say how sorry I was I missed seeing you for I think we feel alike on that subject. We landed this afternoon from Dieppe & if it was not for the Odious Custom House should be on our way to Penrice. <3> I hope some day we shall meet but when or where time will discover, I hope however not to be forgotten & if you will write I will take care to acknowledge your kindness with more gratitude.
yours affy
Jane H. Nicholl
My love to Aunt Lily <4>
Send me word how to send any letters to you when you are abroad.
William Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
31 Sackville Street
Notes:
1. Letter not located.
2. See Doc. No: 01005.
3. Penrice Castle and Penrice House, Gower, Glamorgan, 10 mi SW of Swansea: home of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.
4. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.