Lacock, Friday April 25

My Dear Constance

We have two beautiful new flowers in the Zinc. One is the Japan primrose, the other is the blue Tropæolum – I only expected a pale blue but it is a beautiful rich blue – It comes from Valparaiso in Chili. It had 6 flowers open today, but the plant is covered with buds.

I see by the papers that great troubles are likely to occur in Spain. The Pope seems really to have been very ill, but he has a strong constitution and having reigned 25 years which no other Pope ever did, may not improbably reach 30. Today we had snow in the morning and again in the afternoon, and frost last night. I believe the fruit trees have suffer’d. We are repairing many roofs and chimnies.

Your aff^te

Henry