Grillon’s [sic] Hotel, <1>
July 5th 1820
My Dear Mr Feilding,
I came up from Cambridge today. I have brought the faithful Jiggins <2> with me, to see what his qualifications may be as a servant. I am thinking of going over to see you, & stay about ten days, and so perhaps shall have time to pay you another visit in September, for about as long. – Let me know whether there is room for Jiggins in the château, <3> else I suppose he must sojourn in the town. I spoke my prize <4> in the Senate house yesterday. I did not feel very nervous. I will bring you a copy with me. – I am thinking of going to Harrow <5> Speeches tomorrow. They are to be very grand. Sir Christopher <6> is looking very well, & very full of business and Limerick <7> election committees. The house in Sackville St <8> looks cheerful & inhabited – Gay equipages momentarily driving up to the door. I have chosen for my prize a french [sic] edition of Demos Xenophon, <9> which I have been obliged to order from Paris. I have directed it to be addressed to you at Boulogne; and will be very much obliged to you, to ask one of the captains of the Boulogne packets to take it over, pay the duty, and see it safe into one of the Dover coaches, directed to me at Cambridge: after which I think it cannot be lost. By this I find I shall save six weeks or two months in getting it. – Pray let me hear from you soon – My love to All – and believe [me]<10>
Yours most Afftly
W. H. F. Talbot
A Monsieur
le Capitaine Feilding
Poste Restante
Boulogne sur Mer
par Calais
Notes:
1. See Doc. No: 00851.
2. Possibly James Jiggins (b. 1795), later the owner of the New Inn, Parker's Piece, Cambridge. See see Doc. No: 01384, Doc. No: 01498, and Doc. No: 01662.
3. Château de Clocheville. [See Doc. No: 00892].
4. Porson Prize, Cambridge prize for best translation into Greek verse. [See Doc. No: 00864].
5. Harrow School: WHFT attended from 1811–1815 and his son Charles from 1855-1859.
6. Sir Christopher Cole (1770–1836), Captain, MP & naval officer.
7. Ireland.
8. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.
9. The Greek historian Xenophon (431?–350? BC) wrote of the military campaigns in which he served as a young officer. His best-known book, Anabasis (Expedition), tells of the march and retreat of the Greek auxiliary army in the service of the Persian prince Cyrus, who was trying to overthrow his brother, King Artaxerxes II. [See Doc. No: 00674].
10. Written off the edge of page.