TALBOT3001

Brussels
2^d November 1834

My Dear Mother

The letter I received from you here was very dismal. Horatia’s, written the next day, was more consolatory ¹– I suppose it was by a physician’s advice that you had a douche upon your hand, but you see he was quite wrong – How often one finds that physicians know no more what will be the effect of their remedies, than other people do. I have very little faith in them. I approve of your floating gently down the Rhone it is much better than attempting the hilly road by Gap, or the mountainous one by Turin, at this season of the year. You might go from Marseilles to Nice in a day by the steamer if you please, & avoid the mountains of the Estrelles.

I met Caroline Montagu the other day at Cologne, going home with her brother, L^d Rokeby. ² They have been in Sicily and Naples, and are now coming to endure an English winter because he wants to be at Milton. But she, who is going to remain in Town, laments her hard fate very much, poverina! ³ in being obliged to sacrifice the delights of Italy for no better reason than that.

Tell Horatia we found no letter from her at Manheim [sic]. I will write to my banker to forward it, if it is come since. Altho’ this is the 30^th day of our journey I have felt hurried on several occasions – We gave up Schaffhausen, tore ourselves away from Baden, without half seeing it, &c. I expect that at Ghent, which is a curious old Town we shall have no daylight. In fact this is no time of year for travelling, the days are short & often very cold & rainy. Of the Rhine we saw next to nothing, the Drachenfels had its head so wrapped in clouds that nothing could be discerned. It was however very fine in its misty shroud. Of the Godesberg I could see nothing whatever, so I conclude that the fog had completely got the better of it. In your last letter ⁴ you ask for a journalising letter; it was my intention to have written such, rather unluckily as it turned out, for it prevented my telling you of any of our later adventures till I had written the former and that was what I could find no time for, owing to our continual changing of place & the fatigue of the journey. I will set about making a kind of journal for you as soon as I have the leisure.

Yours aff^ly
Henry

Midnight 2^d November. Constance gone to bed a hour ago – She is quite well, tho’ this never ending journey sometimes tires her. ⁵

Miladi
Miladi Feilding
Poste Restante
Nice Maritime
par Antibes
France