TALBOT1254

[fragment]

Brussels
Feb 18. 1825

My dear Henry

Yours was the first news I got about Florence ¹ I believe it is very true & now I want you to recommend me a way to get there – I do not know when I am to be there or what time I shall have allowed for the journey – or whether I go home first – which if there is any delay, I should certainly do in preference to remaining idle here – I do not want to go by the M^t Cenis again – The Simplon & Splugen are impassable & I have only the wide choice between Nice & the Tyrol. Which do you recommend? I have never seen the North & East of Italy & so rather incline for the Tyrol – at least I think so if I start from hence – if I go to England I should probably come out again by Paris & Nice – The Col de Tende & Corniche are temptations – Have you any inclination to go too? This is nearly the belle saison ² for that country. H. Frampton ³ has received your roots – I do not think you give a very grand account of your plants. They sent me last week from Abbotsbury ⁴ a Scilla Amæna full blown out of doors, while here it is in the botanic garden only just appearing above ground – it is I believe the only Scilla perfectly without bracteæ. The Mesembryanthemums are in flower there & what is till more remarkable the Olea has already shot out its new branches for this year. Crocus pusillus is also out & a tulip.

Do you know M^r Gally Knight ⁵ – he is a great friend of the Fazakerleys ⁶ & travelled in the East with him – he has just left us as also the Wynns ⁷ of Stutgard – late of Berne & henceforward of Copenhagen – The Botanic garden here is very fair & the gardener intelligent & liberal –

I hope your orchideæ will flower well I shall certainly try to send some from Florence – I dare say the Apennines abound in them The inundations all along the coast have been most dreadful – the mouth of every river from the Scheld to the Elbe has been bouché ⁸ by a tide from the NW. like that we had in Nov^r from the S.W of course in Holland the damage has been immense

[letter incomplete]

A Monsieur
Monsieur W. H. F. Talbot
Hotel de la Terrasse
Rue de Rivoli
à Paris