Laycock Abbey
14 March
You never saw such a magnificent estuary as we behold this morning all come in the night, for there was incessant rain all yesterday & a Storm wind in the evening accompanied by vivid lightening & very fine & reverberated thunder, to a degree which surprized me as there are no rocks in the neighborhood. late at night as we were sitting quietly listening to Horatia’s 1 Journal at Rome which she was reading out to us when we were startled by immense hailstones coming rattling down the chimney in a most uncivil manner. Tell me what you are about in London, I am afraid you are dismal, I hope not, pray tell me.
If you would make your self more known in the County, you might come in as one of the 4 Members. They say here Methuen 2 will walk over the course & I must say he deserves it for all the trouble he takes. But then how perverse of him not to keep it when he had it! I conclude another year for without it, it certainly does appear to me that bribery cannot be prevented tho’ not to so great an extent as before.
Unless you really want us in town we have fixed to leave this on Saturday the 2d April positively. But this is subject to revisal if you are triste but that can hardly be, in the centre of amusement & intelligence, & science & Clubs &c &c &c
It would have suited Mr F. 3 now better to have gone to town this week, as all the family arrangements were made, however he has consented to put it off to please us. Longer than that I should not wish it, but really sooner would be little use on account of Passion Week
It still continues to rain without ceasing, so how much higher the flood will rise I cannot imagine.
Caroline’s 4 interior view of the Stone Gallery is really admirable, she is going to undertake the Hall, of which the fire place is so feudal
W. Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
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