TALBOT1247

Sackville S^{t 1}
Jan^ry 30^th 1825

My Dear Mother

M^r Feilding ² arrived yesterday evening having had a very pleasant journey which only lasted 48 hours. He and I are going to dine with Lord Winchilsea ³ today. I was quite surprised on arriving in Sackville S^t to find his letter saying that he was coming, and it made me alter my plans that I might not miss him -

I shall not therefore be in Paris before the 4^th. I have just received a parcel from Munich containing a new number of Martius's ⁴ Brasilian Plants, one of them is an Aristolochia with a flower large enough to make a nightcap of M^r Lambert ⁵ who is a great botanist and a friend of William's ⁶ shewed me the other day a very remarkable plant from Sincapore [sic]. It is a species of Nepenthes called N. Rafflesiana after Sir Stamford Raffles; ⁷ at the end of each leaf is a sort of stout cord bearing at the end a pitcher of water with a lid; as it grows in dry sandy spots & the water is very pure it is the solace of the weary traveller. M^r Brown ⁸ has got a specimen of the Rafflesia Litan the largest flower in the world, in spirits. It comes from Sumatra. The new club called the Athenæum ⁹ to which I belong has filled rapidly its number of 1000 members & there are a great many disappointed candidates. This winter has been mild and without snow. I hope Paris is a little improved in gaiety, tho' I am told the Ambassador ¹⁰ will not open his house this year. William was well and cheerful when he went to Brussels. L^y George Murray ¹¹ is going to live in London, she has bought the lease of a house in Green Street for a long term of years. The Franklands ¹² are in town but I have not seen them; the Lansdownes ¹³ came Monday.

I did not go to Bowood ¹⁴ because they left it so early as the 14^th but I got your letter directed there. I have 2 letters for you one from Isabella ¹⁵ the other from Aunt Susan ¹⁶ I left her very well, & Co^l Strangways ¹⁷ also remarkably stout. The last accounts of Charry ¹⁸ say that she is very much better & they hope in a confirmed way of recovery. Montgomerie ¹⁹ drank tea with me the other evening & walked home by moonlight. M^r F. is gone today to try & persuade him to return to Paris. Lord Auckland ²⁰ is I believe at Woburn. Lord & Lady W^m Russell ²¹ were at Moreton ²² when I was, & we had an agreeable party. He is quartered at Dorchester with his regiment. I mean to see the rival Freischützes ²³ at D. Lane and C. Garden ²⁴

Your Aff^te Son
H. Talbot

Lady E. Feilding
Hotel de la Terrasse
Rue Rivoli
Paris