Roma
Villa Aldobrandini
Friday 28th April 1848. –
My dear Henry
I do indeed owe you a letter now, for you have been very good, & have written several times lately. I received yours of the 26th March containg a very exact account of the events at Palermo, extracted from a Naval Officer’s letter – only it was dated the Vanguard, by mistake instead of the Vengeance. <1> This letter came in Ld Minto’s <2> bag, who was still at Rome when it arrived; & Yesterday I received your’s [sic] of the 29th. This one had also got into Ld M’s bag somehow – I supposed it was returned fm Palermo to Ld Napier, <3> who forwarded it by the messenger who caught Ld Minto at Poggibonsi – & from thence sent here with others from Aunt Louisa, Ld Lansdowne <4> &c, wh were also directed to Palermo. Both your’s of which you sent us printed copies have therefore been received, & a nice long one from Constance <5> written just after you knew we were safe from the bombardment – in fact I do not think that any have been lost. Horatia <6> wrote to you since we came here – I believe she explained to you how the good Ld Minto might have done, was frustrated by the delay in his arrival – caused by unfortunately sailing there in the Hibernia, <7> wh voyage lasted 3 days, instead of going in 18 hours by the Bulldog <8> – the consequence was that although he brought concessions from the King <9> which the heads of the Provisional Govt themselves told us far exceeded their utmost expectations, a steam packet wh left Naples afterwards brought the same in the shape of decrees printed & published, & [illegible deletion] with them the news of the french [sic] revolution – & contrived to reach Palermo the day before so that not only did the change of affairs entirely alter their own views, & induce them to aim still farther – but even Ld M’s offers were no longer treated as a boon – (for by the time he arrived they had already settled to have nothing more to do with the King.) & all the trouble he had been taking for so long was thrown away! Lady Minto <10> wrote me word yesterday (from Chiavari on her way home) that Ld M. had just had a letter from Stabile, the chief minister of Ruggiero Settimo, <11> declaring that the Sicilians would no longer even have a Bourbon to govern them, but wd offer the Crown to one of the Gd Duke of Tuscany’s <12> Sons; & praising the letter highly, & the good sense & moderation of it’s [sic] sentiments. Stabile is a very clever & remarkably agreable [sic] man – we knew him very well. During the rule of the Comitato Generale <13> he was the Secretary, & principal minister de facto – & managed all the business with Ld Mt E. <14> You wd have been amused to have seen Horatia & I [sic] transcribing affairs of state with him on two or three occasions just before Ld M’s arrival – at the time Ld Mt E. was so very ill he was not able to see him. Gran noi! Ld Mt E. got better afterwds. In fact it was the worry of business with no one to help him that brought on his very severe bilious attack. We had a pleasant fortnight during the Minto’s visit, & went several expeditions with them to places where we never had been before under the escort of the Naval Officers, & occasionally with a mounted guard of armed men. Once we went to Piana de’ Greci, a village 16 miles off in the mountains, inhabited by a greek [sic] colony ever since the fall of Constantinople. It was a beautiful & most interesting drive – we had 3 carriages, & a band of 16 of the Squadre on horseback, armed to the teeth; the wildest & most picturesque set you ever saw. We were received & hospitably entertained at luncheon by the Chief man of the village – He & his friends stood round the table attending to us – while the ladies sat in another room – The latter had splendid dresses Pink & red silk petticoats worked & [illegible] with gold; velvet bodies & veils trimmed with lace; but the men have abandoned their costume, except the priests who wear very long hair, beards & moustaches. We saw two marriages a very singular ceremony, something like the Jewish rite; & a Christening. The Baby was only 3 days old – it was entirely undressed, & dipped 3 times in the font – but in warm water fortunately. The We then went back to the house where we had coffee, & then a dance, in a very small room paved with slippery dutch tiles. We set off after dark on our return, but the moonlight was brilliant & streamed in floods over the rocks & mountains. On the way our escort dénichéd[?] a band of robbers, abt 7 or 8, who were hiding under the dry arch of a bridge, & compelled them to stand forth in the road – they would undoubtedly have attacked us had we been alone. on [sic] Thursday 30th March Sir Wm Parker <15> offered us the Bulldog to take us to Cività Vecchia – provided we cd start in 3 days time, on Sunday 2nd at 2 in the afternoon – short notice certainly. The Admiral was very kind however in lending her at all – & could not grant a farther delay, as all the Steamers were wanted with the Fleet – Ld Mt E. thought we ought not to reject such an offer – as possibly no opportunity of any kind might present itself for a very long time – & the country was supposed to be growing more disturbed – (which however is not the case –) His chief reason however was the hope of cutting short the unfortunate business of which Horatia wrote a long account to Amandier <16> – Porcelli had proposed, Ld Mt E. had refused his consent, & was in hopes that change of scene & society wd divert her <17> thoughts from him – During those last 3 days several letters passed between him & me, & on Saturday evg Ld Mt E. consented to see him & had a long interview with him, during which he so far relented as to give hopes that he would not withold [sic] his consent in a year’s time, provided they continued in the same mind, & he had something less precarious to live upon. Porcelli looked very unhappy, but agreed to this arrangemt. They took leave of each other in my presence with this understanding, at ten in the evg. Judge then of our dismay when early in the morng, she was no where to be found! Horatia & I wished her goodnight at ¼ past 2, as we had all been sat up late packing up – She was then in her nightcap all ready for bed – We can none of us comprehend the affair now – All we feel persuaded of is that it was not premeditated – but fancy he must have gone on the terrace; & seeing the light of the lamp thro’ her window been tempted to take a last farewell – However it is a bad business altogether – Ld Mt E. cannot bear to hear the subject mentioned – I do think it made him ill again – for he has never been well since his arrival here & how we were able to pack up & get off from Palermo, actually at the hour fixed buy by the Admiral, in the midst of all this confusion & worry, I can hardly now imagine. It was very melancholy, steaming away, & leaving her without even a maid, on a foreign shore, so far from her own friends & relations – but from what I have since heard she seems perfectly happy. –
We have got a very comfortable house with a charming garden, close to the Palazzo Ceva; only just above it on the other side of the road – I believe it used to be called Villa Nicolis. We have been seeing what we can in the short time – of course all the Holy week was taken up with ceremonies – We saw Pio IX <18> bless & distribute the palms on Palm Sunday – wash the feet & give the benediction from St Peter’s. This was a very fine sight. – He spoke so loud & distinctly, & looked so majestic when he rose up & extended his arms. Ld Mt E. contrived to see this from his carriage. Today there is a Consistory to be held on grave matters. One of the Roman volunteers has been taken & hung by the Austrians – This has produced a great discontent – & yesterday a deputation waited on the Pope, requesting him to declare war on Austria – wh matter is to be discussed I believe today. There is great scarcity of money here as elsewhere – & one has to take dirty bank notes for 20 Scudi. Jane & Co <19> live very near us – Piazza di Venezia, Palazetto Torlonia – She has been tolerably flourishing & Lucy <20> rather better – Little Spencer <21> had a bad fall in the Villa Borghese of 10 feet, thro’ a balustrade, & cut his head badly – but is doing pretty well now. – Mr Petre we see, & Mr Hay – almost everyone else is gone. Val & Charlie <22> get on pretty well I think with Graulich – he is very good tempered & goodnatured – Val has drawing lessons at Jane’s with Theresa Nicholl <23> – he has a great turn & learnt at Palermo too – We are going today to the Catacombe di San Lorenzo, to see an “ Extrazione di Corpi Santi <24>” – with a Canonico who is at the head of all the relics – the martyrs’ tombs are known by the palm, or the ampolla di Sangue. <25> – I wish I had had time & means to collect curious plants for you at Palermo – but both were wanting – I have some seeds however from the botanic garden – but they may be nothing rare.
I am sorry to say Baby cannot speak yet – but she is very happy in the garden, & as fat & round as a ball – Charlie is flourishing too – Horatia do – Milord better. Give my tender love to Constance & Chicks <26> – We were so sorry to hear how sick you all have been – I hope now the Spring has begun, you will all improve at last – Best love to Amandier & to the Moores <27> – The lilacs were in flower at Palermo the 1st April –
Ever dear Henry yr affte Sister
Caroline
Notes:
1. Gun ship launched in July 1824.
2. Elliot Murray, 2nd Earl of Minto (1782–1859), statesman.
3. Probably Francis Napier, Lord Napier and Ettrick (b. 1819).
4. Louisa Emma Petty Fitzmaurice, née Fox Strangways, Marchioness of Lansdowne (1785-1851), Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Victoria, 1837-1838, WHFT's aunt; and her husband, Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (1780–1863), MP, WHFT’s uncle.
5. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
6. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
7. HMS Hibernia, launched in 1804.
8. HMS Bulldog . [See Doc. No: 06087].
9. King Ferdinand II (1810–1859), King of the Two Sicilies; nick-named “King Bomba”.
10. Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound, née Brydone (1786–1853), wife of the 2nd Earl Minto.
11. Ruggiero Settimo (1778–1863), president of President of the Provisional Government of Sicily in 1848. Leader of the revolution in Sicily.
12. Leopold II, Duke of Tuscany (1797–1870).
13. The President of the General Committee, Ruggiero Settimo.
14. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
15. Admiral Sir William Parker (1781–1866).
16. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
17. Valletort's niece through his sister, Lady Caroline Sophia Edgcumbe (d. 10 April 1824), who was the first wife of Reginald George Macdonald (d. 1873): Annie Sarah (sometimes Sarah Anne) married Alfredo Salvatori Ruggioro Andrea, Baron Porceilli di Sant Andrea, a Sicilian nobleman.
18. Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti (1792–1878), Pope Pius IX from 1846 to 1878.
19. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874).
20. Lucy Mary Nicholl (1824-1876), of Merthyr Mawr.
21. Probably a son of Jane Harriet Nicholl.
22. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’, and Charles Earnest Edgcumbe (1838–1915), JP, WHFT’s nephew.
23. Related to Jane Harriet Nicholl.
24. An exhumation of holy bodies.
25. Phial of blood.
26. Ela Theresa Talbot (25 Apr 1835 - 25 Apr 1893), WHFT's 1st daughter; Rosamond Constance Talbot (16 Mar 1837 - 7 May 1906), 'Rose'; 'Monie'; artist & WHFT's 2nd daughter; died & buried at San Remo, Italy, with a memorial at Lacock; Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, née Talbot (25 Feb 1839-1927), 'Tilly', WHFT's 3rd daughter; Charles Henry Talbot, (2 Feb 1842 - 26 Dec 1916), 'Charlie'; 'Tally'; antiquary & WHFT's only son.
27. Thomas Moore (1780-1852), Irish poet; and his wife, Elizabeth ‘Bessie’ Moore, née Dyke (1783-1865).
28. Matilda Feilding (1775-1849), WHFT's 'aunt' - sister of Charles Feilding, his stepfather.