Edinburgh
14 Avril 1861
Mon cher Monsieur Talbot:
Le jardinier de Millburn Tower est venu hier nous apporter de gros bouquets dont vous seriez surpris, considérant la saison si peu avancée: Voici ce qui les compose: du Yellow Barbary – wall flower – auriculas of many colours – double primroses – beautiful double violets – daffodils double and single – Grape Hyacinth – purple Heath –Anemone, and Cynoglossum, Heartsease – &c En légumes: Rhubarb, onions, beetroot, leeks, parsley and cauliflower. Quand je suis allée voir cette maison, il y a bien trois semaines les fleurs d’abricotier commençaient à s’épanouîr aussi que celles des Pêchers – les gooseberries bushes étaient couverts de feuilles ce qui nous fait penser que tout est précoce dans cette localité. Je crois que vous apprécierez la situation si pres de la ville, et cependant si tranquille que l’on s’en croirait à 100 miles. –
Vous avez aussi beaucoup de place pour vos travaux et expériences chimiques, outre votre sitting-room.
Il faut rendre justice à la ville et avouer que nous avons un temps tout-à-fait printanier cependant avec un peu de vent d’Est.
Tilly est partie vendredi pour Dabton où elle reste jusqu’à lundi; elle se fait une véritable joie de revoir sa petite maison et son jardin et écrit qu’elle se porte à merveille: ces deux derniers jours, dit-elle, ont été véritablement chauds Elle ne se ressentait plus de son rhume et se disait si heureux de se retrouver à la campagne!
La saison ici n’a pas été très animée les bals sont rares et dailleurs tout cela touche à sa fin. Nous avons eu une vif plaisir au théâtre, où nous avons vu Ch. Kean dans quatre de ses ppaux[?] rôles de Shakespear [sic]; acquiert une véritable satisfaction pour ceux qui ont si peu d’occasion de voir de ces sortes de représentation.
Ne-dirait-on pas que la guerre se prépare de tous côtés à ravager la terre? est-il vrai que nous soyons mal avec le turbulent vosin sur la question de Syrie? cela est probable, car il est bien impossible de vivre avec lui sans bruits et craintes de nouveaux mouvements, plus de trois mois de suites! enfin nous verrons.
Nous vous atendons incessament et espérons que le beau temps ne vous laissera pas trop de regrets de laisser Lacock en cette saison.
Je crains que vous ne trouviez la Société Photographique fermée, si vous différez bien long temps à lui faire exposer quelques unes de vos engravings:
Ici tout le monde va bien, si ce n’est moi qui suis toujours plus ou moins enrhumée.
Croyez-moi toujours votre bien affectionnée
Amélina Petit
Translation:
Edinburgh
April 14th 1861
My dear Mr Talbot
The gardener from Millburn Tower<1> came yesterday to bring us large bouquets which would surprise you, considering that the season is not yet very advanced: Here is what they were composed of: Yellow Barbary – wall flower – auriculas of many colours – double primroses – beautiful double violets – daffodils double and single – Grape Hyacinth – purple Heath – Anemone, and Cynoglossum, Heartsease – &c Vegetables: Rhubarb, onions, beetroot, leeks, parsley and cauliflowers. When I went to see this house, a good three weeks ago, the flowers of the apricot trees were beginning to bloom as well as those of the peach trees – the gooseberry bushes were covered with leaves which makes us think that everything is early in this locality. I think you will appreciate the location so close to the town, and yet so tranquil that one would think oneself 100 miles from it. –
You will also have a great deal of space for your work and your chemical experiments, as well as your sitting-room.
Justice must be paid to the town and we must confess that we have had quite springlike weather although with a little wind from the East.
Tilly left on Friday for Dabton where she will stay until Monday; she is quite delighted to see her little house again and her garden and she writes that she is getting on marvellously: these last two days, she says, have been truly hot. She no longer suffers from her cold and said that she was so happy to find herself in the countryside once more!
The season has not been very lively here. Balls have been rare and besides all of that is now reaching an end. We had a great pleasure at the theatre, where we saw Ch. Kean in four of his principal roles from Shakespeare; which is a veritable satisfaction for those who have so little occasion to see such representations.
Does it not seem that war is preparing itself to ravage the earth from all sides? Is it true that we are badly placed with the turbulent neighbour on the question of Syria? It is probable, since it is quite impossible to go for three months on the trot with him without rumour and fear of new movements! Well, we shall see.
We await you shortly and hope that the good weather will not leave you with too many regrets at leaving Lacock in this season.
I fear that you will find the Photographic Society closed, if you put off allowing it to expose a few of your engravings:
Here everybody is well, were it not for me who is always more or less suffering from the cold.
Believe me always your most affectionate
Amélina Petit
Notes:
1. Millburn Tower, Gogar, just west of Edinburgh; the Talbot family made it their northern home from June 1861 to November 1863. It is particularly important because WHFT conducted many of his photoglyphic engraving experiments there. The house had a rich history. Built for Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836), an 1805 design by Benjamin Latrobe for a round building was contemplated but in 1806 a small house was built to the design of William Atkinson (1773-1839), best known for Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford. The distinctive Gothic exterior was raised in 1815 and an additional extension built in 1821. Liston had been ambassador to the United States and maintained a warm Anglo-American relationship in the years 1796-1800. His wife, the botanist Henrietta Liston, née Marchant (1751-1828) designed a lavish American garden, sadly largely gone by the time the Talbots rented the house .