Wallington, Newcastle on Tyne
24^th August

My Dear Talbot /

Your letter ^<1> of the 14^th July I did not, in consequence of my having left London, receive till some time after its date. – I hope you will be able to put into execution your plan of coming here from Doncaster next month, which would indeed give me much pleasure.

I have not in Ireland been beyond Dublin & Belfast – but fear I should not this year be able to accompany you to Killarney, indeed I should think for that country it is now almost too late in the season. –

In my way here I came thro’ Oxford where I was sorry to find that little had been doing in the promotion of science, in that department you excell [sic] us at Cambridge, where you have a flourishing Philosophical Society and are building a Museum – Botany I believe is but little studied at either university: at Oxford the Professor scarcely ever lectures & the garden is I think a disgrace to us: – the situation very bad, the collection poor, and the houses much the same as they were in Charles 2^{ds <2>} time, so you may guess what they are.

At York I hear that a botanical garden has been formed in connexion with the Institution, but I wish one was < founded?> made in Devonshire, where the horticultural Society is very flourishing, as there the climate is such that we might reasonably expect many plants to flourish which are sickly strangers in other parts of this country. –

I shall be glad to hear from you that you intend coming here and remain My Dear Talbot very sincerely yours
W. C. Trevelyan

I am sorry to be obliged to open my letter to say that I fear my family will be absent in Scotland about the end of September but I hope you will at any rate give us a chance by writing to me when you can fix any time for coming here. –

W. H. F. Talbot Esq^r
Lacock Abb^y
Chippenham

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Notes:

1. Letter not located.

2. Charles II (1630–1685), King of Great Britain and Ireland.