Bowood <1>
Sunday 5
My dear Henry
I will come to Lacock as soon as I can get off after breakfast on Wednesday – we can start together Thursday morning if you are going to town – I going to Melbury. <2>
I got your letter from Val de [Pesio?] but I did not know you were going to stay there Did you find Fritillaria lutea Jane <3> told me where [Pesio?] was I never heard of it. She is I think going to winter at Nice but Emma <4> will tell us.
What beautiful clear evenings we have, I hope you are looking out for falling stars – in which I take great interest as one of the anomalies of creation.
The Pinetum here will soon be very fine – the soil seems so good for Pines. I am sure some reputed species are but varieties. Abies <5> [Pichta?], Fraseri, amabilis, & perhaps balsamea are too near.
I shewed your letter to Ld Lansdowne <6> who said Cardwell <7> would certainly pay attention to any Memorial emanating from Liverpool. Sir David Dundas <8> who is here said he thought the Attorney General would be a better person to apply to. The case seems very hard but lawyers are harder.
Have you read the life of Dalton? <9> it seems interesting. Can you tell me how the Romans cast up an addition sum? I ask everybody I meet but can get no satisfactory answer. If I did I should ask the same of their powers of subtraction u.s.w. <10> as the Germans put it. I hope Ela <11> & all are well & Charley <12> I suppose not at home.
Yrs
W F S
[envleope:]
H. F. Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Bowood House, nr Calne, Wiltshire, 5 mi NE of Lacock: seat of the Marquess of Lansdowne.
2. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there.
3. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874).
4. Emma Thomasina Llewelyn, née Talbot (1806–1881), photographer; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.
5. Silver fir.
6. Henry Petty Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (1780–1863), MP, WHFT’s uncle.
7. Edward Cardwell, Viscount Cardwell (1813–1886), statesman; he was president of the Board of Trade in 1854. His father was a Liverpool merchant.
8. Sir David Dundas (1799–1877), statesman.
9. Probably John Dalton (1766–1844), natural philosopher.
10. und so weite: and so forth
11. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.
12. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.