TALBOT1756

Laycock Abbey
14^th December

My Dearest Henry

That you have really at last got a horse that suits you, rejoices my heart, – for I am persuaded Exercise is of more consequence to you than Climate. Caroline ¹ has got one too, which she & Horatia ² ride alternately. Hitherto it has been very quiet, & they please themselves with the thoughts of your company out riding, which will be much gayer for them. The Coachman has been asking me if the new Helper is to be under his directions as Pullen was, because if he is only to do your two horses, he says he must retain Pullen, as the only efficient Man in the neighborhood that knows anything about Stabling & he has 4 others, M^r F’s, ³ Caroline’s & the Coach horses, to whom he alone in that case could not do justice. If you answer this by return of post it can be settled before your Horse comes. I suppose Kit ⁴ was gone abroad before you got to London, he liked all this house very much except the new building to on which he made some remarks that are but too true just. His mind is just now particularly turned to building & as what he said is exactly what I have long thought, of course I thought it just. I mean with respect to the smallness of the Arches in which M^r Harrison ⁵ was so far to blame that he did not point out to you beforehand the inevitable effect which he as an Architect was bound to know. Besides that, it strikes me the general effect from the Melksham ⁶ road is a ponderous Mass, & the great size of the house now makes the Tower look lower & less impressive. In short I was so vexed at all these considerations (which I have often & often ruminated upon, but thought it was no use to give them utterance) that after M^r Feilding was gone, to beguile my solitude I sat down & wrote a letter to Mr Harrison, taking care to let him know it was de mon chef ⁷ & that you & M^r F. were both from home. I asked him as a matter of expence not of taste, to calculate how much it would come to, to pull down the new building selling such materials as were not wanted, & making instead two large projections from in the Gallery with Elizabethan Bay windows which would give all the room wanted in a house of this sort, for with so few bed rooms there never can be a large party, & the effect outside would be so very much more picturesque. I could not help telling him my reason for this was that every body who came was struck with the ugliness of the new building<.> I thought he deserved this coup de patte. ⁸ M^r F. was in London & happened to go to M^r Harrison to consult him about the repairs of his House in Rutlandshire,⁹ & M^r H. immediately shewed him my letter. After this I could only expect a burrasca ¹⁰ but to my surprize M^r F. took it very good humordly [sic] says there is no doubt it would be far more œconomical for you than finishing & furnishing the new Drawing room & breakfast room, & that he is quite ready to forward any scheme to the best of his abilities that you decide upon, and gives me the calculation from M^r H. who has repeated it in a letter I received from him this Morning. What has made me dwell the more on this idea is your having said the other day that when you were here alone you would shut up the new room as it would be uselessly large for you. At my time of life it is [illegible deletion] natural to consider future probabilities for you, & I think when we are gone you will find it more desirable to have contracted than enlarged this house, more in keeping with the size of the Estate. Forgive “the prudence & the fears of age”. I should not now have mentioned it did it not appear to be feasible & even perhaps adviseable [sic]. The only per contra ¹¹ is that the room itself will be a very delightful one as far as the inside is considered so in short I have the subject for you to ruminate upon in the mail – It is too voluminous a matter for a letter but I could not be easy in my mind till I had laid it before you

Aff^ly y^rs
ETF

The Terrace ¹² would do equally well. c’est toujours autant de gagné. ¹³ Si après de mûres reflexions¹⁴ you incline that way, I should never mind the wonderment of people at changing one’s mind – mieux tard que jamais ¹⁵

Bring me some toothpicks

Betty Vickery ¹⁶ is delighted to see your picture hung up.

M^r M. has had a letter from his eldest brother who is at Naples, he says William is the shyest person he ever saw.¹⁷ He describes our Villa Serbelloni at Varese¹⁸ which he went to see & the Sagre Monte where there happened to be Fête–¹⁹

M^r F. has had an offer for S. Street ²⁰ till Easter, but he has declined –

Dont scream when you read this because you will find that what perhaps seems wild is in fact practicable & prudent & easily done if you like it

don’t predetermine against

Giovanni ²¹ can get the toothpicks we are very good to trouble you with no heavier commissions

I have only to beg you not to Don’t predetermine against without mature consideration

Is the carriage to be sent to meet you, & where & at what hour? & what day?

W. H. Fox Talbot Esq^r
31. Sackville Street
London
double only