TALBOT1539

Brighton

15^th February

My Dearest Henry

It is always my fate to have to communicate to you melancholy news, whether your absence be short or long. We have received a letter from William ¹ telling us of the death of dear Giles, ² at Abbotsbury ³ last monday, owing to the rupture of a blood vessel & all was over in a few minutes. He had been so extremely ill lately that it was unexpected to nobody but Lady Ilchester, ⁴ who being a sanguine person the shock was dreadful to her. Harry ⁵ & William being with her, & her own brother M^r W^m Digby & M^rs Campbell ⁶ I hope she will receive as much comfort as she can do till John’s ⁷ return which now only depends upon the convoy. William has been at home now near two Months & an inexpressible comfort it must be to him to have been of use & pleasure to the last, he says that Giles had no hopes of ultimate recovery for a long time, & his has been a life of suffering for the last eight years, ever since his first accident. Having written to you so lately I have nothing to tell you of ourselves, except that Horatia’s ⁸ health is not near so good here (at this wholsome <sic> place) as it was at Paris, so that it seems amusement is more necessary to her than air, in which she is not peculiar for there is no doubt les distractions & i passa tempi ⁹ are very good for the digestion & everything that prevents the thoughts dwelling too much on the state of one’s own health. I forget whether I told you that M^rs Chichester (Harriot Fellowes) ¹⁰ came to Meurice’s Hôtel ¹¹ after you were gone, & told us of the death of her cousin Louisa Sherrard ¹² ( la piccola rossa d’Angioj, ¹³ whom he used to talk so much about) She died in three weeks of what’s called a gallopping <sic> cons<umption> ¹⁴ & this affected Horatia péniblement, ¹⁵ She did not get over it for some time. Sir Charles Lemon ¹⁶ is going to be Sheriff for Cornwall, whether the exertion will do him good or wear him out, ¹⁷ is very doubtful.

You will not see the beautiful environs of Dresden la Suisse Saxonne ¹⁸ to advantage

God bless you My dearest dearest Henry

Mons^r
Mons^r W. H. F. Talbot

Poste Restante
à Dresde
en Saxe
in Berlin ¹⁹
Allemagne