Saturday August 22d
Dearest Henry
I was very grieved at the contents of Lady Elisabeths <1> letter; but alas! after the account in the last to Lady Lansdowne <2> it was no worse than I expected. Poor Caroline! <3> how severely she must feel this second blow – Will they not certainly return to England after experiencing nothing but sorrows abroad? now I should think Lord Valletort <4> himself will be the first to urge it. –
I mean to write by the next post to Lady Elisabeth – I conclude you have already done so – I long to hear how you bore the Assizes – whether you were less fatigued by them in mind than usual. – My Father’s <5> newspaper gives an unfavorable description of the new Courts; but how came they to make such very bad arrangements? perhaps however the building may not be considered entirely finished –
I have been so gay here you would be quite surprised & after all I have done I only feel a little tired which is perfectly natural. – I am convinced that the air of this place suits me admirably. – even the bright sun which we have had, & which I have ventured to encounter en plein air has [illegible deletion] never given me a headache or dazzling, but only tired my eyes a little – & I eat & sleep in the superlative degree – I was very much pleased with Carisbrook castle, <6> which Laura <7> took me to see on Tuesday. – I mounted the hill on which it stands under a broiling sun & afterwards ascended a long flight of steps up to the keep of the castle – for which [illegible deletion] most extraordinary effort I did not feel at all the worse – On Wednesday I ventured to the Ball which was admirably cool but dull enough I thought – I believe I have entirely lost my taste for that sort of thing – [illegible deletion] I employed myself in moralizing on the frivolity & unsatisfactoriness of such a way of spending one’s time. – Not so Mrs Heneage <8> – she seemed to enter into the whole thing with the utmost animation, & knew I believe every creature in the room. – She certainly has very pleasing friendly manners & drew towards me in a very agreeable way; just as I should wish one’s neighbour in the country to do. – Laura & I went out sailing with her on Thursday – we had a lovely day & I enjoyed it extremely – we went near to the Portsmouth, had an excellent view of some large ships lying off there – a band was playing on board of one of them & had an excellent effect as we passed. – Yesterday was the Regatta with fireworks in the evening. – The different Yachts, the pilot boats, & quantities of little pleasure boats were sailing about the whole of the day & a prettier or more animated sight could not easily be imagined. I consider that my chancing to be here for the occasion was a great piece of good fortune. – [illegible deletion] I certainly never expected to have seen it & probably I never may be here again, & I assure you I did like it very much. Marian <9> too was able to see a chief part of the day’s entertainment by taking up a position in Mr Corbit’s <10> [sic] garden – Lady Mary Cole, <11> the Trahernes, <12> Mr Cole <13> &c &c joined our party in the garden – the greater part of the fashionable would spent the evening at Lady Listowel’s <14> & many were established in front of the Yacht Club. – I think we were lucky in having a private garden to ourselves as we saw just as well & were not incommoded by the crowd – Sir Charles Lemon <15> has just called & seeing me engaged in writing offered a frank. – He arrived only this morning – might as well have been here yesterday I think. – He told me he had had a good account from Nice – alas! I felt I could not do otherwise than undeceived him – but I was concerned at the pain it seemed to give him. He feels so acutely for the sorrows of others! – I did not think him looking well. – I am longing to know when you think of setting out on your travels. – please to tell Fitzsimmons <16> that if he sends me a basket of fruit about a week from this time will do, – as we are at this moment supplied from Markeaton. <17> – grapes will be the most acceptable when they are ripe. – I wish you would command George <18> to pick up some Yew berries for me – there are plenty on the East terrace –
Ela <19> is very florishing [sic] & send her Papa 2 or 3 of her best kisses. – My Mother <20> is a wee bit better – but very uncomfortable still. – [illegible deletion] her attack has been much more serious than we expected at first. – They move into the Corbets’ house on Monday – the garden will be a great delight both to her & to Marian.
Adieu it seems already an age since we parted –
Yrs aff
Constance
[address panel:]
Cowes, August twenty two 1835
Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
[illegible] C Lemon
Notes:
1. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
2. 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.
3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
4. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
5. Francis Mundy (1771–1837), politician and father of Constance Talbot.
6. A Norman castle at Carisbrooke, once the capital of the island.
7. Laura Mundy (1805–1842), WHFT’s sister-in-law.
8. Mrs Heneage, née Webber, wife of George Heneage Walker Heneage, MP for Devizes from 1838 to 1857.
9. Her sister, Marian Gilder, née Mundy (1806 – 14 October 1860); m. 6 August 1844 William Troward Gilder (d. 1871), Army Surgeon (ret).
10. Possibly Hannah Corbett, mother of John Corbett, MP. [See Doc. No: 09436].
11. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.
12. Rev John Montgomerie Traherne (1788-1860), JP, antiquary & author, and his wife, Charlotte Louisa 'Charry' Traherne, née Talbot (1800–1880), WHFT’s cousin.
13. Sir Christopher Cole (1770–1836), Captain, MP & naval officer.
14. Anne Hare, née Latham (d. 1859), wife of William Hare, 1st Earl of Listowel.
15. Sir Charles Lemon (1784–1868), politician & scientist; WHFT’s uncle.
16. Cornelius Fitzsimmons, Scottish gardener at Lacock Abbey.
17. Markeaton Hall, Derbyshire, NW of Derby: home of the Mundy family.
18. George Wilkins (b. 1814), gardener at Lacock.
19. Ela Theresa Talbot (25 Apr 1835 - 25 Apr 1893), WHFT's 1st daughter.
20. Sarah Leaper Mundy, née Newton (d. 1836), WHFT’s mother in law.