My dear Henry
I have seen Thomas Moore <1> & have given him your letter &c to look over, & I will also take them to Paley <2> – & we will talk them over – Moore & Clark <3> will not be able to go before Monday s’ennight, <4> on account of their yearly accounts which they have at this Time to make up, so you will, it appears by your Letter to Caroline, <5> be here before that Time, & be able to give your own Instructions – She hopes you will not be later than the 27th as she goes the 29 th as at present arranged – I have bought a horse I think will carry Constance <6> very well as pray tell her with my best love. & beg her to bring down with her a little fine weather to enable her to make use of him – Your Mother <7> is rather dim or indeed we all are at the impending separation from Tar pon[?] & the Bimbo <8> – Valletort <9> goes to Town on Saturday – so you will see him – Your mother has told you I suppose of Mr Harmans <10> very odd Note to me – he really is not a person to have anything to do with – Pray bring me down Moores new Book <11> – if it is published before you come & if not des ire [sic] Rodwell <12> to send it me the day it appears – Mlle a<13> arrived in good health, & anxious to make acquaintance with Constance – & superlatively delighted at the idea of her Tour.
V. aff
C F
H. Fox Talbot Esq M P
Sackville Street
London
Notes:
1. Thomas Moore (possibly d. 1854), member of the Lacock Parish Vestry.
2. Rev James Paley (1790–1863), Vicar at Lacock.
3. Daniel Clark. [See Doc. No: 02624].
4. A week, literally [seven, night].
5. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
6. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
7. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
8. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.
9. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
10. Ezekiel Harman.
11. Thomas Moore (1780–1852), Irish poet, Travels of an Irish Gentleman in Search of a Religion (London: 1833).
12. Booksellers at Bond Street. [See Doc. No: 02827].
13. Probably Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].