TALBOT1433

[this is written on the same sheet as a note from Horatia: ]

London
17 May

My dear Henry -

Your very welcome th[illegible] are this moment arrived to tell us of your being safe on Terra Firma again - & I do not lose a moment in replying & sending you some account of ourselves - Horatia ¹ is going on as well as possible with her meazles, & Caroline ² has not yet caught them, your Aunt Charlotte ³ has alternations of better & worse days but I am willing to hope & believe she gains on the whole - L^d Winchilsea ⁴ is not so well & I fear never will be much better - it is possible however that the long course of Easterly winds may have had some influence in increasing his Asthmatic affection - he is very weak, & can hardly speak - I fear some of our Letters to Corfu can have or ever will reach you, & still less your provisions which I sent off the moment I got your letter you had better write your wishes with respect to them to some Friend at Corfu - I was afraid you never would receive them, but I could do no less than follow your directions - I am afraid you found no letters at Florence, though some are gone there, but we were as you know in total ignorance of your plans & were led partly by your order for sea stores & partly by William ⁵ writing and [sic] you had proposed to meet him at Messina ⁶ to think Florence the last place we should direct to - From William You will have heard of poor dear Charlotte Lemons misfortune, ⁷ & all our distress - Her sad & uncertain state, the situation of my Uncle, the necessity of being wherever it may be best for Horatia's recovery from the Meazles, which is always tedious & requiring the greatest care - all make it totally impossible for me to give you what indeed we have never thought of - a plan for the summer - it is a great & real comfort to think that you are within reach , & that whatever circumstances may oblige us to fix on we can now more easily communicate to you - The German scheme is entirely knocked up of course - Your Mother ⁸ has been very nervous & anxious about her sister, but her health is certainly better - It has been a melancholy year in your Mothers Family & mine - The only one I remember when almost all of both were in Town together - You have been very good about writing, & we are all grateful -

GOD Almighty bless you Y^r aff
C.F.

I must tell you one Joke of L^d Norburys ⁹ to make you smile at the end of this not very pleasant matter of Fact Letter - You know he is Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in Ireland - & from his age & infirmities ought to retire His Friends are endeavouring to persuade him to do so, & rather pressing him - "well" he said "it is all of no use for though I have many virtues resignation is not one."

Enquire for Letters at the Post office & at any other place you may desire me to direct to - enquire at the Bankers of your printed list of Hammersleys Correspondents -

Monsieur
Monsieur Strangways

Charge des Affairs de Sa Majeste Brittanique
Florence
For Henry Talbot
for Henry T.
Charles Feilding