Paris
21st October 1828
My Dear Horatia
I am delighted to hear you have been so well amused this summer. I suppose you are now at Moreton. <1> The weather is remarkably fine, and Paris looks cheerful & animated, perhaps I shall stay here a week. I found two letters at the post office and do not think that I have lost any at Geneva. I left the Gallway’s <2> there, thinking of their departure for Nice. I have not seen anybody here, but I understand the Charlemont’s & Pusey’s <3> are here. I see several improvements in Paris; the place de la Bourse is put in order, the building surrounded with a neat iron railing, & a new théâtre des Nouveautés built opposite to it.
The road from Troyes to Paris is very good; I advise all people going to Switzerland to take that route. There is a fine view of Paris near the second relai, <4> about 12 miles from the city. After that the traveller is not disturbed by any object whatever till he gets to Troyes. I mark down in my pocketbook the time it takes to go each stage, and by adding them together I have found that it is at least five hours shorter to go from Calais to Geneva round by Paris than to take the straighter road by Amiens, Rheims, Lougres, & Besançon.
I left Geneva a cold cloudy evening and ascended the Jura by Gex. and la Vattay where I slept. The next morning I was awoke by a most brilliant sun, and as I drove along the tableland of the Jura towards the next station les Rousses, I regretted not having staid a day longer in Switzerland & made some mountain excursion. The Alps were hidden by a ridge of the Jura, but I fancied they would be very magnificent in such fine weather. As I was thinking of this the carriage reached the foot of the Dole the highest point of the Jura, upon the summit of which there is a large signal built, which seemed to be not very far off, (the elevation of the road being so considerable) – It then came into my head that there was no reason why I should not walk up there & meet the carriage at les Rousses where there is a douane and my servant could in the meanwhile have my baggage examined, so that we should be ready to start as soon as I returned. So accordingly I set off and in forty minutes reached the summit where I beheld a most extraordinary view – Towards France, all along the Jura, and over the Lake, the sky was cloudless, but an ocean of white clouds lay among the Alps. The spot where I stood was much higher than the clouds, and the Alps rose out of them like so many islands out of a sea – I looked for the three mountains near Geneva, Voirons Mole and Salevè celebrated points de vue which I had visited (as I told you in another letter) – The Mole, a fine pyramid, shewed half its height above the clouds; the summit only of the Voirons was visible, like a very long ridge: The Salevè being lower was quite hidden, but a confused heap of clouds shewed where it was, like waves breaking over a reef – I took leave of Switzerland with this view, and walked down to les Rousses thro’ fields & forests.
Your affte Brother
Henry Talbot
Miss Horatia Feilding
Moreton
Melbury
Dorchester
Dorset
Angleterre
Notes:
1. Moreton, Dorset: home of the Frampton family.
2. Sir William Payne Gallwey (1807-1881), 2nd Bart, son of Lt Gen Sir William Payne Gallwey (1759-1831), 1st Bart, and Lady Harriet Payne Gallwey (1784-1845), née Quin.
3. Lady Anne Charlemont, née Bermingham (1780-1876), wife of Francis William Caulfeild, 2nd Earl of Charlemont (1775-1863). Edward Bouverie Pusey (1800–1882), theologian.
4. Relay.