Lacock Tuesday
July 12. 1870
My Dear Mlle Amélina
I have been so busy of late that I have been unable to answer your very kind and interesting letters. All my time nearly has been taken up with correspondence on the affairs of Lacock Vicarage and I am sorry to say we are not yet arrived at any conclusion.
We are very much obliged to Monie for the trouble she took in writing to Mr Kennedy of Lucca Baths to enquire about Mr Maitland. Lady Arbuthnot also kindly wrote a letter to <ill. del.> Constance on the same subject, and her report agrees well with Mr Kennedy’s –
But all this has come to an end first because Mrs Nicholl was strongly opposed to the project, she fancied she should never see her son again, if he went to reside so far off! and moreover she wished to go and visit him sometimes in his new home (wherever that may be) and it wd be impossible for her, in her very infirm state of health to take a journey to Italy.
And secondly the project failed on Mr Maitland’s side also for his patron, the Bishop of Gibraltar, positively refused his consent to an exchange with Mr Nicholl.
Rumours had evidently reached him, but whether they alluded to Mr N’s High church opinions so different from Mr Maitland’s which are said to be pure gospel doctrines, or whether he had heard of Mr N’s debts and extraordinary Marriage, or what else be the reason I cannot say, he put his Veto on the exchange. We could not help feeling a little sorry, after having had so charming a clergyman dangled before our eyes for a moment, then to lose him again, but upon consideration we think the exchange wd not have been satisfactory. In the first place Mrs Maitland is in very delicate health, and she particularly asks for and requires a sheltered situation. Now its impossible to say that Lacock Vicarage is sheltered, look at it from any point of view, therefore I fear Mr M. wd have been quite disappointed in the place. Moreover Mrs M’s health is such that she could not travel in the Autumn, she required to be at Lacock by the end of July. Now that was evidently impossible, when the two clergymen had so many points to arrange between them – I saw the correspondence and I was quite sorry Mr Maitland has so much trouble in discussing at length minor questions such as the use of each other’s furniture (there being next to none left at Lacock) the disposal of the remainder of the lease of Mr M’s house at Naples &c &c, All that correspondence was lost labour. Constance received your letter from Valdieri yesterday. I am glad you went there, but quite sorry that I did not know of it previously, that I might have advised you also to visit the bathing establishment called La Certosa di Val Pesio the 2 places are not far apart as this little map will show. <small drawing showing the relative locations of Coni, Valdieri and la Certosa di val Pasio> I visited them both several years ago. At Valdieri I admired the Scenery but I did not like the place, The accommodation was vile, and my Courier who was worse off than myself, fell ill in consequence. The new etablissement des bains which you speak of must make a very great difference! – La Certosa di Val Pesio is a very large old monastery, supported by the Italian government and sold to a Physician or a Company who has turned into a Sanitary establishment, with ample accommodation, and I found many people there, including many English. Val Pesio is very pretty and the most beautiful transparent stream rushes down it, over granite rocks – I should like to see the place again, but as you say in your letter “if we were to set out now I am afraid the season would be over before our arrival”
What do you think of politics? I am afraid we are on the brink of a war between France and Prussia, all owing to Prince and Bismark. The latter is the bête noire of French politicians, who as the Times correspondent pithily observes not only thinks that whatever Bismark does is evil, but also that whatever evil thing is done, must have been done by Bismark! At present the appearances of war are very menacing, a few days will show whether it can be averted. I have a good many things to say with reference to the earlier part of your travels, but must keep them for another letter. We have had one good shower of rain here since the last report, but the drought continues being no much remedied by that one night’s downpour – Prayers for Rain are offered in the Chamber and will have to be repeated.
Adieu. love to Monie Your affecate
H. F. Talbot
The Mundy’s visit to us has been given up, much to our regret, partly because 4 of our servants have left, or are on point of leaving, & partly because both Ela and Charles are absent. But we shall invite them again later.