London
9 Novr
My dear Henry
I am in doubt whether I shall see you before I go – I hear you are not expected in S. St. <1> till the end of Novr. How long do you mean to stay? The Nicholls <2> are in town – the rest of the family are at Bath on their way to Dorsetshire till Christmas at least – Charlotte <3> so much better you would scarcely believe it the same person we saw so ill last winter Mary <4> is here with Jane.
This is a finer Novr than what we had last year but you will still be too late to see much beauty in the country. Mr Lambert <5> is making out Dianthi – have you a good specimen of alpinus for him? it is a genus in which his Herbarium without being defective, is less brilliant as to specimens than it ought to be Mr Don <6> is making a monograph of Centaurea much wanted it will be published next July you might assist him in it – I visited Mr Lambert in the country & found it a very curious place & abundance of things to see there. Have you a good specimen of Vicia lutea from Italy? Hooker <7> has published such a poor one in the Flora Londinensis <8> I was near writing to him about it – did you know it was perennial do you know Lathyrus grandiflorus I saw a Schizathus one day & a beautiful thing it is indeed I expect to hear from you here if you have any seeds roots or parcel for me give it to my friend Mr Jones at Ld Granvilles <9> who will send it.
Yr
W T H F S
H. Talbot Esqr
Notes:
1. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.
2. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874) and family.
3. Charlotte Louisa 'Charry' Traherne, née Talbot (1800–1880), WHFT’s cousin.
4. Mary Thereza Talbot (1795–1861), WHFT’s cousin.
5. Aylmer Bourke Lambert (1761–1842), botanist who had a famous herbarium and library at Boyton, near Heytesbury, Wiltshire.
6. David Don (1800–1841), Scottish botanist, who was curator of the Lambertian Herbarium and the librarian at Boyton, and co-author with Lambert of botanical works.
7. Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865), Prof & botanist.
8. Published 1821–1828.
9. Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Earl Granville (1773–1846), British ambassador at Paris 1824–1841.