Mt Edgcumbe <1>
Saturday Feby 18th
My dear Henry
I have not yet looked over all my Seedlings you sent me last year regularly, with the Catalogue, but from a cursory view I am prepared to tell you that great numbers are growing & flourishing – particularly the Pinus Maritima, Alepensis & Racemosa The last mentioned looks exactly like the one you gave me from l’Isola Bella – The nettle tree is about 4 inches high, but does not look well – merely I suppose from having shed its leaves – The 3 Acacias which were given in charge to Mr Parker in the Kitchen garden, have flourished wonderfully – they were sheltered, as desired, in a hothouse, & are now, I should think a foot high – The Julibrissin looks particularly well – If you will write to me, I will give you more details another time – & first of all, I want an answer to the following question Were the two planets we observed last Tuesday 14th to the Eastward, or rather South-Eastward, & very near each other, Mars & Venus? or Mars & Jupiter? It was a most lovely day – quite Summer – we went out to Penlee, & climbed up to the tower – Horatia <2> was delighted – it must do her good to live in a continual state of enjoyment, as she does whenever the weather is tolerable & she is in sight of the sea – That day we did not reach home till 6, & the stars were shining brightly as I told you – Don’t forget to answer My direction is Mt Edgcumbe – Devonport – Love to Mamma, & Constance <3> – Bimbo <4> is very well – Ld V– <5> not so well – he has been in bed all day with gout in his left arm –
Addio fratello carissimo <6> –
Yr affte Sister
Caroline
W. Henry Fox Talbot Esqr
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Mt Edgecumbe, near Plymouth: seat of the Earl of Mt Edgcumbe.
2. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
3. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
4. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.
5. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
6. Goodbye dearest brother.