11 Randolph Crescent Sunday

My dear Papa

I was glad to hear in your last letter to Mamma that you are thinking of coming back to us soon – you have been away such a long time and have hardly let us Know anything of you all this time – I suppose you must have been very busy with your Engravings and entirely absorbed by them – I fear though that we are not entirely without fault and have been rather Silent also – Have you Spring yet at Lacock? today has been very mild and pleasant and the young leaves of the Ribes and Lilacs are coming out. The back gardens of the Crescent leading into the garden are full of tufts of hepaticas blue, white, and red – some crocuses also are coming up but snowdrops do not prosper so near the town – Our view of the Frith <sic> has been very clear lately, but we have never managed to get down to Granton or Leith though we often talk of doing so –

We have had Sarah Spedding with us for a few days but her time here was limited as she had a visit to pay in Yorkshire on her journ way back to Scarborough – They seem to have been satisfied with the climate there, but are anxious to be gone before the east winds begin as that coast would be dreadfully exposed – but I do think that this winter has been so much milder than usual that they cannot judge fairly of what it might be in an ordinarily season. –

Are not you very sorry to see poor Prescott’s death? and Philip the 2^d was so far from finished, and this last volume is so particularly interesting – you would think by his vivid description of the battle of Lepante and others that he had been on eye witness of the events he relates, so much so, that I think he much have drawn a little on his imagination. – and I wish Merle d’Aubigne too would Continue his work for if any thing should prevent his publishing another volume it would be very sad, and you Know he has not even concluded the life of Luther – and only just begun Calvin –

Manny had a letter yesterday from Charles – they had had Thackeray at Harrow and he gave them a lecture on George 3^d and his times –

Poor Mamie I am sorry to say has another bad cold which she caught by walking out on too windy a day and now she is obliged to nurse it regularly and remain in her room but I hope soon it will be better – she had been very well just before, going to some concerts and even to the Conjuror Frihell, who was exhibiting in the Queen’s theatre (always a cold place) and had not been the worse for it.

And now Good bye dear Papa or else my letter will not be in time for the post

y^r affec^te daugher

Ela