London
23 December 1829
My Dear Mother
I have settled with Murray <1> to publish my legendary tales, <2> that is if they are finished in time for their season: for nothing should be printed out of season.
Moore <3> is in Town, I am going to call upon him this morning. The 1st vol of his life of Byron appears next week -
I am going to see Jane, <4> who is pretty well. When the D. of Buckingham was at Mayence <5>the other day, paying 3 louis a day for his apartments, it happened that he did not quit the Town on the day of his departure, until past Noon. The horses were to, the Duke in the carriage, Allez, postillons! <6> was already attended, when the innkeeper presented himself & demanded 3 louis pour la journée d'aujourdhui, <7> which he affirmed was commenced, and therefore payable. The Duke remonstrated & cried Drive on! in vain. The innkeeper had expected resistance & therefore had armed himself with un homme de la police, <8> who civilly assured the Duke that the law was against him. The Duke would not hear of it, but went himself to the bureau de police, <9> where after much jabbering of German it was decided at seven oclock in the evening that the charge was unjust, and his grace might proceed on his journey. But alas! these three louis were destined to be lost to the Buckingham family, for the post horses had been waiting at the door of the inn all this time, and they now demanded the money for their loss of time. Take it! cried the indignant Peer & threw the gold at the head of the postillion! The Duke missed his aim - the Louis broke the Hotel windows - [text missing] <10> another tapage <11> - another claim for compensation - another delay -
The Duke revenged himself, by publishing an invective against Mayence in the Frankfurt Gazette. This is Giovanni's <12> story, he has been I find as far as Dresden.
Cornelius Fitzsimmons, <13> my new gardener, will present himself on the 15th January
Your affte Son
Henry Talbot
Lady E. Feilding
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
Notes:
1. John Murray (1808-1892), London publisher. [See Doc. No: 01942].
2. WHFT, Legendary Tales, in Verse and Prose (London: James Ridgway, 1830).
3. Thomas Moore (1780-1852), Irish poet.
4. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796-1874).
5. George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1628-1687). Mayence is more commonly known today as Mainz.
6. Go postilions!
7. For today.
8. A policeman.
9. The police station.
10. Text torn away under seal.
11. Noise, row.
12. Giovanni Percij.
13. Cornelius Fitzsimmons, Scottish gardener at Lacock Abbey.