TALBOT250

Abbotsbury ¹
Feb^y 7^th

My dear Henry

We are going to London instead of Penrice! ² and grieve to miss paying you a visit at Laycock it is a great disappointment to us all I assure you but it can’t be helped. Sir Chris^{r 3} is now gone up to town to get us a house and we expect to hear from him today. Jane ⁴ will be benefitted [sic] by this plan for she does not think of going into Glamorganshire till July! I begged Mamma ⁵ to let me answer your note so now I must send you her message.

The tower at Melbury ⁶ was built in Edward 4^{ths 7} reign so the house was probably meant by the "faire towre" in Henry 8^{ths 8} – the name of the hill where the stone came from is Hamdon hill. Wadham college was built of the same stone sent up to Oxford by Sir Nicholas Wadham’s ⁹ team. Uncle Harry ¹⁰ wishes there was as good stone there now! – We are not surprised that people were of your opinion [about?] ¹¹ St Michael’s chair, in former days! I should like to see the old book you talk of. I like the etymology of Market Jew very much I shall send Sir Chris^r word of it & see what he says to it.

Nothing can be more delightful than the weather it is like Summer & the Sky larks sing every morning when I go down to the beach to breathe the fresh air in the morning before breakfast what a change it will be to go from hence to London! – all send their kind love. Kit ¹² was at Milan when we heard last. –

Your aff^te coz Mary

Henry Talbot Esq^re
Laycock Abbey