[the letter is in the Bodleian Libary and its envelope in the British Library]
Lacock AbbeyMonday October 7th
My dear Henry
I did write to Edinburgh yesterday & to Jedburgh on Friday <1> according to your directions – I am very glad you are not going to pass now or miss Melrose & should like very much to visit those interesting places with you – I believe I should think the present weather rather chilly for Scotland, but you like a moderate degree of cold & as the weather is still remarkably fine –having had rain only once Saturday with a heavy shower we had yesterday I hope you will not find it otherwise than agreeable. A few Scotch mists I fear you must expect even when the weather is brilliant with us – & some very dark days we had last week even here – I am quite distressed at your being ill after the York Meeting, <2> as I told you in my letter yesterday – and I recommended eating luncheon as a tonic – which being the most important thing, I repeat, as I do not wish you to lose a day in following my excellent advice – I am sure you must have hurt yourself by fasting too many hours, as you always do when you are away from home & too busy to think of your physical wants. I also communicated news from Carclew <3> in a letter from Horatia <4> descriptive of her pleasure in being there, which will keep a day or two – but en attendant <5> I will [illegible] you that she & Lady Elisabeth <6> seem to be well & enjoying themselves. Today, I will indulge you with a letter from Lady Elisabeth – part of which contains merely hints for the Nursery, which are not quite in your line – but other things she says which you will like to see – so I send it, instead of transcribing – Also I mentioned in my letter yesterday that there were several letters lying for you here – 2 from York & 2 from London which last I fancy are in Mr Collen’s <7> handwriting – at any rate, as they followed each other within a few days, the writer plainly is urgent for your answer – Shall I send all these in a budget? <8> –
We are all going on well. Charles <9> is certainly much better & more playful & a little cross sometimes which I consider a very good sign<.> I sent him & Hester[?] out of your room a few nights back – as they all sleep well & do not disturb one another. – The girls <10> cough in strong fits now but do not decidedly hoop – Do get better quite quick – & let me hear of it –
Your affectionate
Constance
William <11>tells me that I have only one bottle of wine left – what must I do when it is finished!!
[envelope:]
Henry Fox Talbot Esqr
Post office
Melrose
Edinburgh
Scotland
Notes:
1. Doc. No: 05094 and Doc. No: 05092.
2. The annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science on 26 September.
3. Carclew, Cornwall, 3 mi N of Penryn: seat of Sir Charles Lemon
4. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
5. in the meantime
6. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
7. Henry Collen (1800–1879), miniature painter, calotypist & spiritualist, London.
8. i.e. a small bag.
9. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son. He was recovering from hooping cough.
10. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter, Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter and Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
11. William Pullen, Lacock Abbey coachman.