TALBOT1496

Dear Henry

Can you at all make out the enclosed gentian it was nearly red when fresh and fringed not like ciliata but Amarella & grew very low down the mountains on rocky banks – it must be a late flowering one as there were many in bud & none in seed.

There is a certain Devisiani a Dalmatian curator horti botanici ¹ at Padua which is a tolerably good one, who makes a voyage to Dalmatia every year in quest of plants – he has brought a hederæfolious variety of Cyclamen Europæum. I believe there is no distinct hederæfolium but that all in turns put on that appearance in different parts of Europe in order to be Crux botanica ²

The weather now (8. Oct^r –) is detestable as bad as Nov^r last year at Florence to my great annoyance as it breaks up the season the roads & my tour all together – I have a letter from Barbini offering his 4 pictures which I believe I told you of for 50£ – he asked 96 – to which I vouchsafe no answer as I want all my money for travelling I drove such a hard bargain with Neri ³ that he has left me alone too & I dare say sold his Garofalino ⁴ to some other traveller. His soidisant Correggio ⁵ you will certainly see where it is the next time you go to Bologna if he does not lower his prices –

Your aff^te

W T H F S

If you have an opportunity ask Jane ⁶ if she ever received or what she did with a book of sketches in the Carpathians &c which I sent to her in London in the Spring or Winter

<Enclosed: pressed gentian flower>

Henry Talbot Esq
31 Sackville Street
London