Lacock,
Monday 24th August 1835
My Dear Constance
I have hardly yet recovered the extreme fatigue of last week. I returned home from Cowes on Sunday night the 16th. The next morning I was at Devizes by halfpast nine being summoned to attend on a special jury, to try the question whether the parish of Fittleton was bound to repair a certain road – In the course of the morning the jury were directed to go and view the road, and a rendezvous was given them to meet at one o’clock at the sign of the cat at Charlton, eight miles from Devizes. But when we got there it appeared that we were to go much farther, and we were guided over the open downs eight miles more till we arrived at the spot, where we were shown the road and then dismissed to return home as we pleased.
Fortunately it was a cloudy day, for during five minutes that the sun shone it was very hot indeed. I was to have dined with the judge that day, but when I reached Devizes it was much too late, so I returned home to Lacock about 9 or 10 P.M. The next morning I was in court at nine o’clock but the cause did not come on till three. During all that time we were not allowed to absent ourselves, because it was pretended that the cause was expected to come on every minute, consequently we could get no dinner. At three the cause began & after listening to the evidence about two hours & a half, all the jury felt so much exhausted by want of nourishment and the extreme heat of the court that they applied to the judge to adjourn the cause till the morrow, which he consented to do, being very much wearied himself. I found myself unable however to eat any dinner, or Supper, owing to having waited too long for it. The next morning the trial recommenced at nine, and lasted till five. It was very wearisome owing to the heat of weather & the number of needless witnesses examined, who all proved the same thing. Mrs Moore <1> who sat in court near me did me a great deal of good by giving me a bottle of lavender water the agreeable perfume of which refreshed me very much. At five, as I said, the cause ended & we were sent to consider of our verdict; we were locked up in a room, where according to law we were to be “without fire, candle, or food.” If we had not so far transgressed the law as to get some beer and some biscuits through the window from persons in the street we should all I believe have become seriously ill with want of sustenance, for we had breakfasted at 8 o’clock. We were eleven of us in favour of a verdict of not guilty, in the course of a very few minutes, but the remaining juror remained obstinate in the contrary opinion from five o’clock till nine: when I as foreman of the jury thought it my duty to write a letter to the judge stating the impossibility of our coming to any agreement. He sent for us to his lodgings and after enquiring whether our health was likely to suffer seriously from further confinement, which we answered in the affirmative, he by consent of counsel on both sides dismissed the jury without their finding any verdict. – I was unable to take any solid food this day either; and returned home at one in the morning to Lacock, being a particularly delightful, starry night. [illegible deletion] We found the house close shut up, & could make no one hear for half an hour. We attempted to get it [sic] at the windows, but you will be glad to hear that our attempt at housebreaking proved ineffectual, and was repulsed at all points. At length George <2> awoke with Pompey’s barking & let us in. Thus ended my first appearance in the character of a juryman very great fatigue it was, & unsatisfactory as coming to no result. For two days afterwards I could not bring myself to eat any solid food, but by care and attention have now returned to my ordinary state of health, aided by the change in the weather which is grown much cooler and rainy. I have formed no plan yet for setting off on my travels; Mr Bowles <3> whom I saw today says Cardigan <4> is beautiful & a certain walk from thence along the banks of the Teivi [sic] to – Castle, where Henry II <5> once held his court.
Your affte
Henry
Mrs Fox Talbot
at Mrs Mundy’s
Cowes
I. of Wight
Aug 24
Notes:
1. Elizabeth (Bessie) Moore, née Dyke (1783–1865), wife of the poet Thomas Moore.
2. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey. Pompey was a family dog, mentioned from 1832-1838.
3. Rev William Lisle Bowles (1762–1850), Wiltshire poet & antiquary.
4. Wales.
5. Henry II (1154–1189), King of England.