Genoa.
Monday 25^th May

My dear Papa,

You will be delighted to see, by the enclosed letter from Ernestine ^<1> herself that she is going on so well. I only received it yesterday afternoon, so that it had been 3 days and a half on the road! Mama ^<2> and I both got both your letters from Lucca yesterday at the same time. You will have found a letter from Mama at the Baths of L. on your arrival I hope. You will receive no more Newspapers after today, as tomorrow there is none, and either tomorrow or next day we hope to be off. We had already decided to go by the Corniche, before receiving your advice to that effect, as Mama discovered that after all she greatly preferred that route, and considered it less fatiguing. I hope you will find the Baths of Lucca pleasant and cooler than the plains; here is has become rather too warm, especially at night – Mamie ^<3>is better, but both she and Mama are rather overcome by the heat. I had a letter from Charles ^<4> a day or two ago, with little in it, besides his reasons for considering it impossible to come out and join us, as I had been advising him to do. He had also given up going to the Duke of Beaufort's ^<5>ball! No letters have come for you except a line from Mushet, ^<6> saying he had paid the money into the Bank of Scotland – and which Mama opened in case it required an immediate answer. She will give it to you. We will write on arrival at Pisa. ^<7> Our address there will be Hotel Victoria. The hotel Bayer proposes at Florence is Hotel Royal de la Grande Bretagne: hither Galignani will be now directed.

Good bye, dear Papa; [illegible deletion] love to Ela,
Your affectionate daughter
Rosamond.

Mama has just received your last letter. We are very glad to hear you like the Baths of Lucca so well – I know it is a charming place, and should like well enough to have seen it, but as you say, one cannot go every where, and so must choose the most interesting places.

---

Notes:

1. Ernestine Emma Horatia Edgcumbe (1843-1925), WHFT’s niece.

2. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.

3. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].

4. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.

5. Henry Charles Fitzroy Somerset (1824–1899), 8^th Duke.

6. John Mushet & Son, House Agents, Edinburgh (John b. 1811, son David b. 1842).

7. See Doc. No: 09379