London.
Saturday May 8^th /69

My dear Father

I received a letter enclosed from Lacock yesterday, which I opened before I perceived that it was directed to you to be forwarded. As it is from Mushet ^<1> the Edinburgh house-agent, I do not think it necessary to forward the letter if I tell you the contents.

I wrote you a letter the other day which I hope you have received stating that Mr Awdry ^<2> had opened a telegram received at Lacock from Mushet, and had written to Edinburgh. –

The letter which arrived here yesterday is dated May 4^th I will copy it out.

“2 Hope Street
Edinburgh 4^th May 1869

H F Talbot Esq.

Sir.

We were asked yesterday by M^r Learmonth ^<3> to telegraph to you and learn whether you would let 13 Gt Stuart St ^<4> for a year at 400 £ rent, which we did but have received no reply. Today Sir Alex^r Grant, ^<5> Principal of the University and his lady have seen the house and made a verbal offer of £ 100 rent for four months from about the 15^th of May.

Please advise us by return and oblige

Sir your most ob^t serv^ts
John Mushet & Sons.”

– If you want the actual letter I can send it when I know your whereabouts, but I have copied it all out. –

I shall write to Mushet to say that I have sent it to you to Florence.

______

Shall I pay the bill that Mess^rs M^cCruchen ^<6> present?

It appears that the carriage from Venice and shipping charges there have been paid.

The items are.

		s.
Propn Postages Entries and Lighterage <7>from the vessel		5.	0
Propn of Landing charges and cartage.		1 7.	6.
Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . .		10.	0.
Total	1.	2.	6

Miss Fuller of Neston is to be married to Mr B Speke, ^<8> on the 19^th instant. They are first cousins. Some fears are entertained that M^r S may possibly run away before the ceremony, but it is supposed that he will be safe afterwards –

I shall go to Lacock on Whitsun eve.

Tyndall’s ^<9> lectures on light continue most interesting or rather become more so. – One of the experiments the other day was that of introducing paper moistened with solution of quinine, beyond the violet end of the spectrum, which immediately becomes luminous shining with a pale violet light, having as I understand the effect of lengthening the vibrations of the ultra violet rays.

I have not got a very clear conception of the nature of light vibrations, nor how they are analogous to the vibrations of a string. I am endeavouring to get some notion of vibrations in general from Tyndall’s book on Sound. ^<10>

I observe that when the paper soaked with quinine solution is placed on the violet rays of the spectrum it has the effect of giving a lighter violet light; and this I do not understand for in that case it is modifying not the invisible but the visible rays, but I suppose that it would have no effect on the rays nearer the red end of the spectrum.

In the last lecture there were very good experiments illustrative of Spectrum analysis, the lines of metals and absorbtion lines.

I saw yesterday at the Zoological Garden a young monkey. The keeper said that there had not been one for 6 years. – . It hangs on under the belly of its mother by its four legs, and is understood never to come down. –

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Notes:

1. John Mushet & Son, property agent, Edinburgh.

2. West Awdry (1807–1892), solicitor, Chippenham.

3. J. Livingstone Learmonth. [See Doc. No: 09533 and Doc. No: 09536].

4. 13 Great Stuart Street, Edinburgh, frequent home of the Talbots from 1863-1871.

5. Sir Alexander Grant (1826–1884), principal of Edinburgh University; vice-chancellor of Bombay University, 1863–1868. Alexander Grant was elected as principal of Edinburgh University on the death of his predecessor Sir David Brewster (1781–1868), Scottish scientist & journalist, and inducted into his post in November 1868, where he remained until his sudden death in 1884, the tercentenary of the University’s establishment.

6. See Doc. No: 09533.

7. Payment for loading, unloading and ferrying by lighters – large open boats used for such purpose.

8. Rev Benjamin Speke. [See Doc. No: 09320].

9. John Tyndall (1820–1893), natural philosopher.

10. John Tyndall, Sound; a course of eight lectures delivered at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. (London: Longmans, Green, 1869).