TALBOT1590

Abbotsbury ¹

Saturday

Dear Henry

Pray write me word if the Ls– ² are arrived at Bowood ³ & how long they are likely to stay as I must continue my journey accordingly – I wish your house hold cares would allow you to come here for a few days – the garden is in a most beautiful state of wilderness, at every step one stumbles on something strange Lycopsis pulla I hear is not an introduction of mine but has been known as a noxious weed in the parish many years – a purple mesembryanthemum is also a weed coming up in the awkwardest places, but a pretty weed I have no objection to – I have one arborescent one that beats all Gostnias[?] or Marygolds &c for brilliancy – it has long horns to the calyx – Knautia orientalis is a very pretty plant – also Linaria pubescens – & Camp. lanuginosa & lactiflora excite the admiration of every body – However doubtful the ripening seed may be, the plants are so much handsomer in most instances in the open ground than in the spare pots of the Giardino dei Semplici that you would hardly know them – Did you ever seeCoronilla securidaca in seed? it is like a Catherine wheel – lomentis cirrhosis ⁴– The Cisti are blowing a second time & Metrosid. lanceolata & floribunda in fruit. There are diminutive olives on the olive tree – Lavatera Weinmanni very pretty – Hibiscus cannabinus beautiful – I hope to keep some through the Winter – I have two new Sisyrinchium a white & yellow very pretty – & half a dozen plants of Sol. pseudocaps: ⁵ in various places which have stood the winter & some will flower – three Psoraleas which may be called hardy – Vicia pseudocracca in great beauty & many other peas & vetches – Cistus halimifolius is a great ornament – & perfectly hardy – a Thalictrum 8 feet high – plenty of Gnaph ⁶ stœchas Salvia sclarea, virgata, campestris, Œ&[illegible]⁷ Linum virginicum & a blue very like L. angustifolium but annual, larger, darker, & not so tall – Convolvulus [sic] bracteatus, siculus, hirsutus Ipom. sibirica – Crucianelle 2 or 3 Scutellarias Uniola latifolia, Cufea viscosa in flower, Chrysanth. maximum, veronica incana, Camp. grandiflora & murasupiif. & fragilis – scabiosa White, transylvanica in quantity, tenuifolia, Asph. fistulosus Creticus, Astrag. hamosus, Ornith. compressus – Phytolacca Verb. ⁸ sinuatum – phœniceum – A pretty yellow Sida & another with small red flowers & cut leaves quite a weed – If you want any seeds or roots let me know & I will leave a Mem. when I go – I went to Boyton ⁹, Kilmington ¹⁰ & Melbury ¹¹ all which were flourishing – at K. the prettiest artificial rockwork I ever saw – At Stourhead I found wild – the Stagshorn Lycopodium M^r S. had raised Centaurea – Crupina & Euphorbia dulcis, which faild [sic] here – I have a Euphor<bia> I cannot make out – Alyssum saxatile – & campan. verticillata. The Oleander is beautiful – do you remember whether it grows out of doors at Paris? – Has M^r Moore ¹² heard the Polish airs ¹³? Have you found any more hidden treasures – or secret staircases?

Y^r Aff
W F S.

John ¹⁴ has been heard of still at Aleppo 11^th July heartily tired & hoping to get away shortly full of gratitude to M^r Lesseps ¹⁵ – I propose calling the next new genus Lessepsia ¹⁶

Henry F. Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham