My dear Henry,

I did not write because I had nothing to say worth sending only to the other end of the County but one of these days when I am overflowing, I will burst out in a letter to you, as I very often wish for you to explode to, & as you have given me leave to write to you, you must [illegible deletion] take the consequences.

Mama ^<1> will be happy to see you Saturday but she would much prefer having you on Monday, and you could not be so very shabby as to leave us again so soon as Monday, if you only come Saturday after having paid such a long visit at Melbury & so short a one here. I know you considered yourself as visiting Penrice ^<2> at the same time, but still, you should give us as much of your company as is equal of to one third of the time you have been at Melb^{y <3>} whereas you came to us on a friday & went on Monday.

Hoping you will be sensible of your error & make up for it

believe me Ever Your Aff^ate cousin
Harriot Frampton

I have just bethought myself that if you do come here Saturday you will not get this as I only rec^d yours tonight but I send it, in case you should have altered your plans, & if you have pray do not fail to come Monday – I shall enjoy you very much & L^y W^m will be very agreable – and Mama particularly wants you to meet her that she may have she says an agreable impression of Moreton. –

Moreton ^<4>
Thursday Evening

Henry Talbot Esq^re

As this comes from Moreton if he is gone there, it is requested to be put into the fire by the writer.

[on verso, written in another hand:]

It not being easy at this moment that the writer of this letter should put it into the fire, the Sendee has returned it to Moreton.

dated Melbury.

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Notes:

1. Lady Harriet Frampton, née Fox Strangways (d. 1844) .

2. Penrice Castle and Penrice House, Gower, Glamorgan, 10 mi SW of Swansea: home of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot.

3. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there.

4. Moreton, Dorset: home of the Frampton family.