TALBOT2062

Laycock Abbey
26^th September

My Dear Henry

I am so sorry we have not wherewithal to amuse you in return for your entertaining Letters. Mais que voulez vous? ¹ Le Monache Agostiniane della Bastia ² are out of the pale of civilized society. Quant à moi ³ I feel I grow fonder of this old Place every day and if I did not consider the interests of your Sisters, ⁴ I should not dislike staying here all the year round.

The Weather was not so fine while M. & Sir C. ⁵ were here as it had been for the Framptons, ⁶ but the Talbots [sic] had never seen this place with the leaves on so they admired it proportionably, and your aunt examined the plants in the hot house, Botanic Garden &c and amused herself very much. Strong ⁷ has only been here twice since you went, but we expect him tomorrow. I hope you will put a stove under the dining room before the winter, or it will be untenable. How much we suffered last winter from the cold of that room it makes me shiver to think of. The vaulted room where the Stove would be, would be an excellent place for Robert & Edward to sleep so that the fire would answer two purposes. Where they now sleep is too far away to be any use in the Night indeed during your & M^r F’s ⁸ absence I have made them sleep more in the body of the house – in case we had any frights, or that the Plate closet sh^d be attacked. In that case the room they now have would serve for people’s servants who come here – I think this house will be perfectly delightful when it is finished & a most enjoyable place tho’ it is not romantic. I have employed Myself in cutting away dead trees & branches, rooting out Elders that choked nobler trees, and various etceteras that cheered me with the feel I was doing good to <the> Place, and planting Evergreens for my⁹ Grandchildren to admire. If you have magnificent trees in a few years in the Shrubbery, it will be owing to my care of them, lopping & preventing their organs of respiration being stopped by Ivy, which clasps the trees with Iron arms & as many as Briareus ¹⁰ in these alentours. ¹¹ I hope you will like the Colour of the oak you know I was to chuse for the Entrance Gates. They are done & supposed to look so handsome that the people of the Village asked leave to come & inspect them, as the finest specimen of Painting in the Country, he is the Raphael of Corsham.¹² The necessity for doing it was that the new wood was cracking in the Sun, & by a parity of reasoning I thought it best to have the Coach house doors done at the same time. I hope you will approve of all. I find being occupied about something that is progressive is the only remedy for Ennui

Y^rs
E F

We expect M^r F. the 20^th October

Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
Post Office
Doncaster
Worcester ¹³
Lacock Abbey ¹⁴
Chippenham