TALBOT1219

[This letter carries an additional note from his wife Charlotte - see ]

Nice.
Dec^r 1^st

Dear Henry,

Charlotte ¹ tells me you have not yet become acquainted with Cuvier, ² & wish to be so. I enclose you a note of introduction which you may present or not as you please; but in all probability before you get it, you will have found other means of introduction. He used to have a little reunion every Saturday Evening at which were the most eminent scientific men in Paris, with a little mixture of female society that took off the business character of such meetings in general. – Cuvier himself is exceedingly pleasant, & you will find his step daughter M^lle de Vaucelle ³ very clever & amusing. She hates all the ologies but has plenty to say upon every other subject – If you have any fancy for a letter to Brogniart ⁴ who conducts the Sêvres manufactory I can send it to you – If you meet him will you ask him wheth [sic] M: legrand ⁵ has yet published anything relating to a fossile [sic] cephalopod – that I left with him (Brogniart)

This place must be strangely alter^d from what it was when you were here – The English society is absolutely null, & there are no foreigners, except a Russian Prince Czatovsky who has announced his intention of visiting nobody – The natives are all that is kind & obliging, & have given us a hint that it would be very pleasant, if we would give them a few dances now & then, but they give nothing themselves except whist parties at which they all play – what they do with themselves the rest of the day I do not know, for they neither read or walk – I would give a good deal to uncork a Diable Boiteux in a bottle of Vin de Bellet⁶ who would tell me all this. Y^r friend Risso ⁷ is the best friend we have, & I have just seen D^r Leach who if he is well enough will be valuable resource in the way of science. With this in hand, & living in this beautiful country we pass our time very pleasantly, & we are very free from positive annoyance.

Pray mention me kindly to Lady Elisabeth ⁸ & tell her I would have obliged taken her advice in writing instead of talking, if Charlotte had not already done so –

I am, dear Henry,
Y^rs very sincerely
C Lemon

Nice
Dec^r 1.

If you want un homme d’affaires let me recommend you an honest Dutchman who would have saved me some thousands of francs if I had known him sooner. He will give you much better exchange than you can get at a Bankers, particularly Lafitte. M. Lefebore Le Clerq. N^o 8. Rue du Dauphin – near the Tuilleries.

Mailhac. N^o 11. Rue Cloche S^t Benoit, près la rue des mathurins, is a book agent who used to attend sales for me. Cuvier recommended him

à Monsieur
Monsieur Henry Talbot

Hotel de la Terrasse
Rue de Rivoli
à Paris