TALBOT2432

Laycock Abbey
10^th October

My Dear Henry

I am afraid you always contrive never to get your letters, i.e. they arrive at each place just after you are gone – & it will doubtless be the fate of the many directed to Bangor that you will be by that time at Manchester. Lord V ¹ – is still in Cornwall, & Caroline ² & I set off to London next Saturday, the same day M^r F. ³ & Horatia ⁴ go to Melbury. ⁵ Amandier ⁶ goes with us to town on account of her caisses ⁷ not being arrived from France & she must appear in person at the Custom House, if indeed she will not be obliged to cross over to Calais pour les reclamer, ⁸ otherwise she is in danger of presenting herself gownless at Hopewood Hall, which for a petite Maîtresse ⁹ just come from the Emporium of Fashion [of?] dept Paris would be a mortification qui touche au vif. ¹⁰ I think everybody who has been here this summer has left it with a pleasing impression of the Abbey. Its power of stretching is something wonderful, & I like an elastic house better than a large one, because when the party is reduced it is more snug. I believe I mentioned to you Caroline’s extreme disappointment at not being confined here She has hardly yet recovered her spirits tho’ she is much better, & going about among her old women as she used to do. I expect to remain in London about six weeks, & then return here to meet Horatia & suo Padre, ¹¹ when I suppose you will have done pereginating & be driven home by stress of weather. We have had violent equinoctial gales for five days, a large limb of a Horse Chesnut was blown off, & a coup de vent ¹² took a big branch of Elm, but neither in places that signify the least. You will have wherewithal to make posts & rails for your new plantation without any thought of the mere thinnings of the Shrubbery, cut for its good & beauty – Fitzsimmons ¹³ will take care of Every thing that will do for that & put it by itself, & I hope to meet you here & plant à qui mieux mieux, ¹⁴ for I have such an immense quantity of young trees to be got rid of that are spoiling one another, you need not bring any. Except these stormy days we have had excellent weather & quite warm & sunny – C. & H. rec^d your letters

aff^ly y^rs
EF

Horatia is very busy at this moment distributing Beef & Potatoes & carrots (out of her own Garden) to twelve favourite old women, in honour of her Birthday but which could not be done at the time because the House was full then & every body too much occupied

We dined at M^r Locke’s¹⁵ the other day – he told me for the 3^d time that you might have come in for Devizes with the greatest ease.

Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
Post Office
Manchester