[illegible deletion] Rome
Sunday
19th Novr 1848.
My dear Henry
It is such ages since you have written to either of us that you hardly deserve a letter, but I am impelled to write fearing you will hear an exaggerated account of the troubles here & be alarmed for our safety. I did not think we should have another revolution this winter & indeed from all we had heard of this people we thought it would never come to anything of that sort. It began with the horrible murder of poor Rossi <1> on the stairs going up to the opening of the chambers on Wednesday. He was jostled in the crowd & on turning his head the dagger was plunged into his neck – He actually mounted a few more steps & then fell & expired immediately – the chamber actually took no notice of the event – the President coolly desiring the proceedings to go on – M. d’Harcourt <2> was so disgusted at such barbarous indifference that he got up & left the house followed by all the Corps diplomatique. It was evidently a coup montée, <3> they say by Sterbini, <4> Pce de [illegible] & others of that violent party – but the people seemed to regard it rather with feelings of satisfaction than horror – the Epoca even talks of the interference of Providence. Some of the mob actually went at night under the windows of Mme Rossi yelling & hissing & calling out è ben morto! <5> Was there anything so brutal! I was glad to hear Mr d’Harcourt had sent for her to his Hotel to be safe from such insults. Thursday morning we heard the people were going up to the Quirinal to demand of the Pope to appoint for Ministers Sterbini, Mamiani <6> & 4 others – C. & Ld Mt E. <7> drove up there & saw them arriving, & to their great disgust, the Carabinieri joining (who were supposed to be faithful & very good soldiers) – indeed there were many more of them than of Guardia civica. The Pope asked for 2 or 3 days to consider wh discontented them very much, & they increased in number & violence till just after C. had left the Piazza, they began to throw stones & actually set fire to one of the doors of the Palace – whereupon the Swiss guards fired out of the windows, & the mob set off running like mad. Mr Fayrer said it was quite ludicrous to see the civici waving their swords & scampering down the hill, crying out fermi! <8> all the while. They came back however afterwards & actually brought 21 cannon opposite the Palace – the poor Pope held out till evening when finding no hope of support fm the troops, dragoons & all turning against him & fraternising with the people, he at last gave in & consented to their demands – protesting however before the foreign ambassadors, that he only yielded to force. They had the audacity after that to require him to dismiss his Swiss guards who are only about 100, & have been for time immemorial the Papal guard. – The only one he has to defend him, & who wd certainly have died at their post had the Palace been forced. It really makes ones blood boil, to think of such horrible ingratitude to a Pope who has done all in his power to benefit them, & even his detractors can only find fault with [him] for being too good. Quiet is now restored but for how long I know not. Yesterday we heard that the people of the provinces are not at all pleased with these violent proceedings, particularly at Bologna, where Rossi was very popular. Gen. Zucchi (who is a real old soldier of Napoleon’s time) is there now & they say has 800 Swiss – perhaps if he were to march them here it might alter the aspect of affairs. I fear now all chance of any friends from England arriving is at an end. I think the Romans will begin to repent of their follies before the winter is over, as so many depend on the money spent by foreigners. The poor artists were nearly starving this summer already. Lord & Ly Acheson <9> are arrived, but going on to Naples – Ld & Ly Morton <10> & his son Ld Aberdour, <11> whose wife is dying – Ld Walpole – & poor Ly Lincoln, <12> all alone – I have not seen her yet. C. has taken Mondays to be at home – Pss Doria has Fridays. It is very nice having Jane <13> here again & living much nearer, so we can see her comfortably. Adieu dear Henry I now console myself for your not coming to these troubled waters with all your chicks <14> – perhaps they are better in quiet England. Kiss them all for me & give my love to Constance. <15> I hope she & A. <16> do not feel the bad effects of the cold. It has already begun here & I think we shall have a winter in the style of 1822 – I will write if any more revolutions take place –
Yr aff sister
Horatia
C. wrote to Constance lately & I to A. – Nothing is settled in Sicily yet! – Mr Temple <17> expected at Naples but never arrives – He has been 18 months en congé <18> in these times! –
Pray write.
There was a splendid aurora borealis Thursday night – in the old times it wd have been thought a portentous omen.
[envelope:]
[note added inside flap:] It is[text missing under seal] unusual in these latitudes - it was bright red with white streaks - extending over great part of the sky. In the middle ages the Pope might have turned it to some account
Inghilterra
W. Henry Fox Talbot Esqre.
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Angleterre
Notes:
1. Pellegrino Rossi Publicist (1787–1848), diplomat, economist, and statesman. Pope Pius IX had appointed Rossi minister of justice in the Fabbri ministry, with the intention to re-establish the papal authority, together with a form of constitutional government. This programme was disagreeable to both the Conservative Party, and the advanced Republicans, who hated Rossi as the representative of the constitutional monarchy. On 15 November 1848, Rossi was assasinated when on his way to the Legislative Assembly to explain his programme.
2. Probably Georges Douglas D’Harcourt-Olonde, Marquis d’Harcourt (1808–1883), diplomat and politician.
3. Mounted.
4. Pietro Sterbini (1795–1863), poet, physician, and patriot. After the death of Rossi (15 November 1848), Sterbini became minister of commerce and public works.
5. He’s well dead!
6. Count Terenzio Della Rovere Mamiani (1802–1885), writer and statesman. He became prime minister in Italy for a brief period in 1848, his political views opposed to those of the pope.
7. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister and Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law.
8. Don’t move.
9. Archibald Acheson, 3rd Earl of Gosford, 1st Baron Acheson (1806–1864), and his wife Theodosia Acheson, née Brabazon (d. 1876).
10. George Sholto Douglas, 17th Earl of Morton (1789–1858) and his wife Frances Theodora Douglas, née Rose (d. 1879).
11. Possibly Sholto John Douglas, 18th Earl of Morton, Lord Aberdour (1818–1884), whose wife Helen Douglas, née Watson died in 1850.
12. Probably Susan Harriet Pelham-Clinton, née Hamilton, Lady Lincoln. [See Doc. No: 02412].
13. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874).
14. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter; Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter; Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter; Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.
15. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
16. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal ].
17. Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston (1784–1865), statesman.
18. On leave of absence from duty.