TALBOT2610

Tuesday

My dear Henry,

The Ball is the day after tomorrow comme j’ai en l’honneur de vous observer, ¹ and we have been calculating that if you cross from Boulogne & Stay only a few hours in London (where you cannot have much to do) that you may still be in time.

We did not see the Eclipse so well as you did, and it was not so good a one as the last I saw which was at Lady Mexborough’s Ball² & made the event of the Evening. But that was in July a better season for seeing Eclipses, where were you then? En Suisse je crois,³ but you never mentioned having seen it, at l not in any letter to me. The Gallways ⁴ are here They crossed from Waterford to Bristol the very day after the Water Witch was lost.⁵ They are getting up a play with Horatia, ⁶ who I hope has had a tolerably merry Christmas, considering Caroline ⁷ is not here. M^r. Moore ⁸ has promised to act with them, & Kerry & Henry Fitzmaurice ⁹ & M^r Colville ¹⁰ but I have strong suspicions it will all come to nothing. Likewise Mr. Sheridan ( M^rs Norton’s Brother)¹¹ and the Baron de Constant (cousin to Benjamin Constant)¹² are part of the Dramatis Personae. M^r. Burns ¹³ the Oriental Traveller is staying at Bowood, ¹⁴ but I fear he will be gone before you come. He is not long returned from India & was sent by Lord William Bentick ¹⁵ to explore. Lord Lansdowne ¹⁶ liked him extremely & says his conversation is most interesting.– Horatia is writing out her part but sends her love

Ever Aff^tly
EF

If the play succeeds how envious Caroline will be!

its what she always wished for.

Henry Fox Talbot Esq. MP
31 Sackville Street
London