TALBOT1314

Margam ¹
Sep^tr 30

My dear Henry

I don't think I have ever sent you word that we have heard from Christopher ² from Lisbon, he had a very pleasant voyage, a fair wind all the way & no gales, he thought the bay of Biscay so smooth & charming he wondered how people could say it was such a stormy place! he has been to see several places in the neighbourhood & admires the sail up the Tagus very much. M^r C. Jones ³ & M^r Mansel are his companions & he found some difficulty in being allowed to bring the Galatea ⁴ into port from having passengers on board, however he met with some English people who managed it for him, I don't think he will be sorry to quit Lisbon the place exceeds any other in point of dirt and misery in short he is perfectly disgusted with it . We almost expect him daily now, as he did not intend going any farther & he will not attempt seeing Corunna this time as he is told he must perform Quarantine if he goes there. - I wish you had come to us at the Races we should have been so glad to see you. My Sisters enjoyed the balls very much but unfortunately I was doomed to be a spectator as I am very lame & can hardly walk, having had two wasp stings on my foot which are still very troublesome. We were interested one day by a race between a horse of M^r Henry Lucas's ⁵ and some others the former beat to our great delight in a very fine manner he was sold instantly for a hundred guineas to another friend of ours & won the race next day carrying a great deal more weight, to the astonishment of all the knowing folks there.- I have enclosed two little dried specimens from one of the seed boxes at home, the Asclepias I think uncommonly pretty it is a dwarf sort, I think & I want to know if you think it hardy enough to grow out of doors all the year round. - The garden was magnificent when we left home Bella donna's by dozens in flower, we counted some which had fifteen flowers on one stem. I think we left upwards of twenty Guernsey lilies just coming out a quantity of blue Agapanthus & the Amaryllis undulata besides other more common plants & our myrtle hedge in blow from one end to the other. We have many visits to pay in the county before we return home again but I hope a mat ⁶ will prevent some of our beauties from being quite spoilt The garden here is very nice but there is a great want of flowers in it to our eyes, we have some very sweet Jessamine in the Orangery the Catalonian & the Azorian, the Orange trees of all sorts look extremely well & I really believe the hot weather we have had this summer has been the cause of their good looks in a great measure. They are still out of doors & if this fine weather lasts, will not be put in for some time. -

Mary Anne Shakespear ⁷ parted with us at Cardiff she is gone to Mrs Bathurst's ⁸ at Lydney for a short time before she returns to Cheltenham where she intends being with her brother for the future.- Jane ⁹ & her children are quite well they go to town the latter end of next month I am sorry to say & I believe Charlotte ¹⁰ will accept of the invitation & spend a few weeks with Jane in Montague Square. ¹¹

Emma ¹² has been sketching a great deal this summer & Isabella ¹³ has been playing on the Organ ever since we've been here almost

they are now both at Merthyr Mawr ¹⁴ & I daresay find enough to do in playing with the children I am sorry to say Mamma ¹⁵ has such an inflammation in her eyes she can hardly do any thing to amuse herself it proceeds from relaxation they say & will go off when she is stronger she is very subject to it in a less violent state particularly when she has any sweet flowers [in]¹⁶ the room.-

I am your aff^ate coz
Mary

1825 Cardiff October Three Chris^r Cole ¹⁷
W.H.F. Talbot Esq^r
Bowood ¹⁸
Calne
Wilts