July 2 –

Dear Henry

What Teucrium can this be? It has a southern aspect – yet I found it at Pyrmont on a high hill in company with Vincetoxicum Rosa tomentosa, Epipactis ensifolia & the like I have been making a delicious Tour to Cassel Westphalia, Sylva Teutoburgensis, Hermansberg & thereabouts – Your Photographs are excessively admired & I doled away a few. I have to thank you for the new ones. The portrait is wonderful – but why do you not take a more interesting one? Constance, ^<1> with the three babies ^<2> on their donkey & the tower of Lacock behind would make a pretty picture!

The M^t Edgcumbes ^<3> leave Wiesbaden for Teplitz ^<4> Tuesday next – I have not time to tell you all about my Tour – I saw such curious old towns & churches –

When are you coming abroad? The diet have given 100–000. florins for Wagners Electromagnetic motive machine.

Yrs Aff
W F Strangways

Henry F. Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
WFS ^<5>

In a garden here I found Allium siculum, Garidella nigellastrum, Hieracium spatulafolium & Bulbocodium vernum all pretty & new to me.

Frankfort

2J^y.

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Notes:

1. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.

2. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1^st daughter, Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT's 2^nd daughter and Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3^rd daughter.

3. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797–1861), WHFT’s brother-in-law and family.

4. The Mount Edgcumbes were at Wiesbaden and Teplitz in the Summer of 1841. [See Doc. No: 04318].

5. Initialled to authorise inclusion in the diplomatic bag.