London
Saturday July 31^st /69

My dear Father,

I believe that I shall get to Lacock some day next week. I have to see the doctor again on Tuesday or Wednesday. He approved of the idea of sea air, but not sea bathing for the present. Both of which I knew –

The weather is hot.

I wrote to Ela ^<1> yesterday.

Your affect son
Charles

P.S. I see that the notice of the death of M^r Jenkins at Westminster for whose death we have a pardon to Sir John Talbot, is given in Evelyn’s Pepys’s diary, whereby it appears that it was in the same duel as that between Francis Earl of Shrewsbury and the Duke of Buckingham. I have heard you conjecture this. Perhaps you may have seen the passage.^<2>

[envelope:]
H Fox Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham

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Notes:

1. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1^st daughter.

2. Although there were numerous editions of Pepys's diary, Charles was perhaps reading the new edition of the interpretation by Rev John Smith, Diary and Correspondence of Samuel Pepys, F.R.S., Secretary to the Admiralty in the Reigns of Charles II. and James II. (London: Bell & Daldy, 1867), v. 3, pp. 351–352. The duel was fought on 16 January 1667, near Barn–Elmes, Surrey. George Villiers, 2^nd Duke of Buckingham (1628–1687). had for some time been having an affair with Lady Shrewsbury, née Anna Maria Brudenell (d. 1702), then the wife of Francis Talbot, 11^th Earl of Shrewsbury (1623– 16 March 1667). Upon discovering this, Shrewsbury challenged the Duke to a duel whereupon they fought three a side. Buckingham’s seconds were Sir Robert Holmes (1622–1692) and Capt William Jenkins; Shrewsbury’s were Sir John Talbot (d 1714) of Lacock Abbey and Bernard Howard (1641-1717), son of the Earl of Arundel. Adding to the scandal, Lady Shrewsbury held Buckingham’s horse, “in the habit of a page”, whilst he was fighting her husband. All six men were wounded. Jenkins was killed outright, Francis Talbot so badly wounded on one arm that he died two months later, and the Earl of Shrewsbury run right through the body. All players in the duel were pardoned at King Charles II’s behest the following month.