Harrow
Aug. 22 1838
Sir,
I beg to thank you sincerely for the kind attention you have given me in forwarding the 1st Number of your Hermes,<1> which I received two or three days ago. It was my companion on Monday in my journey into Warwickshire, and served very much to beguile the fatigues of the way.
It would be inconsistent with the brevity of a letter to enter into any details respecting your speculations, all of which seem to me novel & original, and many very ingenious and satisfactory.
Will you allow me however to suggest as a subject for illustration in one of your next numbers, – as analogous to a very interesting topic treated in the present. – I mean the remnants of very early Latinity still preserved in Italian though lost in the Roman language at least as far as we can judge from its surviving remains. Merely as an illustration of my meaning among many others, I would instance the meaning of the word spogliare in Italian which is much nearer its original root, ex polis, from pellis [illegible deletion] whence french [sic] dépouiller, than its common Latin signification.
It would give me very much pleasure to see you at Harrow! and talk over such subjects as you have discussed, when ever you can spare leisure for such a purpose. We meet for School business on 12th Septr after which time I shall be here till Dec. 4.
Believe me Yours faithfully
Chr. Wordsworth.
H. F. Talbot Esq
[address panel:]
H. F. Talbot Esq
31 Sackville St
London
Notes:
1. WHFT, Hermes: or Classical and Antiquarian Researches, No. 1. (London: Longman, Orme, Green, Brown & Longman, 1838).