My dear Henry
I am much inspirited by your accounts of the dear people at Nice, whose sorrows I do assure you have weighed heavily on my mind. - They must be much more comfortable now that they are able to give such a glowing description of the beauties of their villa, & I hope all will go on better with them in future. - From the terms of your letter I should think we might expect them before very long - that is in the course of the Autumn. I do not wonder at Lord Valletort's <1> eagerness about returning, but it appears to me that if they are able to stir, there can be no obstacle to Lady Elisabeth's <2> departure also - and it will be very convenient for them to come together if Mr F. <3> & Horatia <4> persist in remaining abroad - but I do fully anticipate that they will all be once more under our roof at Lacock ere the winter draws in. -
Indeed dear Henry your labours at the Assizes were severe! inde - a most unlucky beginning it was for you in your career as a Magistrate <5> - I fear that your love for that sort of thing will not be increased by it - It is fortunate however that you did not feel the bad effects of so much fasting & fatigue for a longer space than a few days - a little mountain air will I should imagine be very beneficial afterwards & restore you completely - Fancy my having been here a fortnight already!! My Mother <6> is really much better now, excessively thin of course but she has recovered her appetite & seems altogether as little reduced in strength by her attack as one could possibly expect. - The Heneages <7> leave on Monday, & many others of the acquaintance they have formed here, are either gone or going; so that my Mother's recovery comes a little later than we could have wished. - but we must try & amuse her ourselves as well as we can. - I do not wonder at your dislike to this place, now that I am acquainted with it - for those who object to sailing have no other resource. - The Galatea <8> arrived here last Tuesday - your cousin rarely comes on show, therefore it is not surprising that I should not have seen him - but we are all to go on board some day when my Mother is well enough - There have been plenty of pic-nics & archery meetings <9> since the weather became showery but we have not been near any of them. - Lady Mary Cole <10> & her party I have seen frequently & I like her extremely on better acquaintance She has been very good to Ela <11> & invited her to pay morning visits at her house. - Ela has got a new bonnet which has wonderfully improved her appearance & before you see her again she will be in short petic[oats] so that I suppose you will scarcely know her again - She improves daily in beauty & amiability - though her Aunts <12> do all they can to spoil her. - It is lucky she cannot understand. -
The post going - Adieu
Your affecte
Constance
Saturday. -
Notes:
1. Ernest Augustus Edgcumbe, Lord Valletort, 3rd Earl of Mt Edgcumbe (1797-1861), WHFT's brother-in-law.
2. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773-1846), WHFT's mother.
3. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780-1837), Royal Navy; WHFT's step-father.
4. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810-1851), WHFT's half-sister.
5. See Doc. No: 03120.
6. Sarah Leaper Mundy, née Newton (d. 1836), WHFT's mother in law.
7. George Heneage Walker Heneage (b. 1799), MP for Devizes from 1838 to 1857; and his wife, Harriet Sarah, née Webber.
8. Given the conjunction between sailing and archery, 'here' was almost certainly Cowes. The Galatea was the yacht of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803-1890), immensely wealthy landowner, mathematician & politician; WHFT's Welsh cousin.
9. Possibly meetings of The Selwood Foresters, an archery society and social club that attracted wealthy members and held regular archery competitions, where the 'Misses Talbot' were members.
10. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776-1855), WHFT's aunt.
11. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835-1893), WHFT's first daughter.
12. Laura Mundy (1805- 1 September 1842); Emily Mundy (1807- 5 November 1839); Marian Gilder, née Mundy (1806 – 14 October 1860); m. 6 August 1844 William Troward Gilder (d. 1871), Army Surgeon (ret).; WHFT's sisters-in-law.