TALBOT2734

London
Monday 12^th

My dear Henry

You are a wretch as Aunt Harriet ¹ says, for writing to us so very seldom, for tho' you cannot receive letters in out of the way holes & corners, you can always find a post to send them by. It is too bad of Constance ² not to impart her first impressions of the Alps to me - tell her I am very angry - What happy creatures you are to be roaming about among the glaciers - I cannot express the longing that comes over me for a waterfall towards the end of the London season & there you are revelling in Staubbachs & Riechenbachs & Bachs of all sorts & sizes. - We are going to Laycock Thursday, that is Mama ³ & I, for Papa ⁴ will be detained in town for some time about poor L^y Stuart's affairs. ⁵ There is an Archery meeting ⁶tomorrow - I am so sorry we shall not be in time for it. You never saw anything in a dream so empty as London - in the Park three people riding & all the shutters shut, & yet Parliament is sitting - The Ministers get on swimmingly & pass all their bills without any trouble - Lord Brougham ⁷ says there is no time like August for legislation. One might have a very pleasant little society at this time, by collecting the scattered together & they would be much more agreeable than they are in the squeeze time - but somehow people do not do it in London except now & then a party to the play or something of that sort. Did I tell you the 2 Liddell marriages? Susan to Captⁿ Yorke who will be Ld Hardwicke & Charlotte to Mr Trotter. ⁸ Laura Ellison is going to marry Captⁿ Edwardes ⁹ - she is a great favorite of mine & I hope it will turn out well. The Duchess of Kent & Princess Victoria ¹⁰ have been paying a visit to Uncle Harry ¹¹ - Theresa ¹² was delighted with the little princess, & it seems to have passed off very well - L^y C. S^t Maur was the Lady in waiting & seems to have been the least liked of the party. I wonder whether you ever get our letters - we keep on directing to Berne as we know no better, & I daresay you never send for them. Pray let us know where you are & what about.

Your aff^te sister
Horatia

I am very sorry to hear that D. Pedro ¹³ is behaving ill at Lisbon & arresting people in the Miguel ¹⁴ style - that is really too bad, & they will not know how to get rid of him. I see there are revolutions in Switzerland - I hope you are not come across any of them. The cholera is going on here again - old Lady Allen & L^y Graves & M^r Algernon Percy ¹⁵ have died of it.

Give my love to Constance - I hope she has been sketching

M. Fox Talbot
Monsieur
Poste restante
Berne
en Suisse
Switzerland