Albano
June 10 1823.
My dear Henry
We arrived here yesterday evening from Terracina where we slept the night before & intend to go to Rome to-morrow. Sunday morning we went in a boat to Gaeta, which I think is the most picturesque town I ever saw. I believe you did not go there or at least if you did were here did, I wonder you did not tell us more about the Tomb on the top of the hill. I shall not describe as you may perhaps have seen it. Don’t you think it is much larger than Cecilia Metella? Before we left Naples we went to Cuma & Fusaro, we found the inscription in the Truglio di Baja, but could only make out the word Providentia I could can not imagine how you could read all the rest. We climbed up your steep path & had a very fine view from the top though unluckily it was rather hazy, but I had not time to look for the White Lily on the shore which I was very sorry for. I found there some beautiful rose-coloured pinks, that smelt as sweet as garden-pinks & quantities of myrtles. I saw nothing more curious since my last letter – there are plenty of acanthus in flower at Baja & Mola di Gaeta – I suppose you find quantities of rare flowers at Nice, as it is much later in the year than when you left it to the last time.
Is the weather very hot where you are now? At Naples & here it has been as cool as in England or France particularly the evenings – it is delightful for travelling, I hope we shall have a cool summer. I hope you went to see Angioj <1> when you were at Genoa. – Papa & Melle Amelina <2> went to Rome this morning – The first luccioli <3> I have seen this year were last Thursday in the garden of the Floridiana, which you perhaps never saw – it is a charming place belonging to la Moglie del Rè. <4> Last year at Florence we saw quantities every evening in the Cascine, the fields were quite covered & spangled with them. I am very glad we are going the same road from Rome to Foligno, as we shall have an opportunity of seeing Narni, the Temple of Clitumnus, & all the other things we could not see in the dark or fog, & the Spoletana over again. Did you prefer Terni to Tivoli the second time? – Pray tell me all about your journey from Florence & write to me soon, I have written to you twice without any answer & though my letters are very dull, it is not my fault, et il faut m’excuser en faveur de ma bonne volunté. Addio – J’espère que tu parleras italien à merveille la prochaine fois que je te verrai, ce qui arrivera bientôt , au moins je l’espère – en attandant Crois-moi ta s œur. <5>
Your affte Sister
Horatia Feilding
Notes:
1. See Doc. No: 01116.
2. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father. and Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
3. She means ‘lucciole’, that is, ‘fireflies’.
4. Wife of the King.
5. And I must be forgiven on account of my good intentions. Good bye – I hope that you will speak Italian marvellously well the next time I see you, which will happen soon, at least I hope so – meanwhile believe me your sister.