TALBOT1141

[this is written on the same sheet as notes from Horatia: - and Rev George Montgomerie: ]

Christmas-day 1823.
Genoa

My dear Henry

It is a long time since you wrote to me, but I heard by a letter Mamma ¹ received from Lord Auckland, ² that you were amusing yourself at Melbury, ³ which place he said was unusually gay this year. - Since I wrote last, we have made several new acquaintances; amongst others, Signor Dinegro [sic], one of the very old Genoese noblesse, & an Improvvisatore; ⁴ he has a daughter about my age, whom he is teaching to be an improvvisatrice. - Il Dottore Moyon, ⁵ (espagnol,) our physician, is also very agreable, & a violent whig; he knew Lord Byron ⁶ very well who lived here a year & a half, & went to Greece but six weeks before we came. - Horatia ⁷ & I went to a soirée chez la Marchesa Spinola, ⁸ where were a great variety of Nations, there was Singing, Dancing, Chess & Whist. - Mamma desires me to tell you she would write to you in this letter but that she has had the Adontalgia ⁹ so very bad that she was confined to her bed all Christmas day, which was very dismal; but she is now better, though still weak from having suffered so much pain. -

We have got a new little dog, which we call Morphina; elle est bien gentille et nous faisons son éducation, car elle n'a que six semaines. ¹⁰ - the box you sent from Paris is at last arrrived, but it is still at the custom-house; it had been stopped at Pont-de-Beauvoisin ¹¹on account of the books. -

Adieu my dear Henry, believe me always your affectionate Sister
Caroline A. Feilding

W. H. F. Talbot Esq^re
Inghilterra
31 Sackville Street
London