TALBOT3077

Nice

4^th May

My Dear Henry

At last the long expected & most welcome letter is arrived! I had begun to imagine it was égarée ¹ & had wandered to some other country. That enclosed to the Suisse is not come nor the second account of dear Constance ² which you promise. I cannot yet fancy you a Pater familias, it seems to me so lately you were born yourself – I have such a clear recollection of that happy day. I am sure little Ela Theresa ³ is a nice little thing, & I long to hear again how she flourishes. I am much flattered & pleased at the name of Theresa being added & it is really pretty in itself & not common. I wish I could see the little creature, but alas! I know not when that is likely. We were all fixed to go away to day, but Lord V. ⁴ who has been these months confined to his room, has lately been so much worse that we could not abandon Caroline ⁵ in a land of strangers, & so we have now put it off to the 14^th in any case you had better direct here as M. Lacroix ⁶ will take care of the Letters. Caroline set her heart on being confined in England but I much fear she will be obliged to give that up, as there is little appearance of his being well enough to undertake so long a journey in time for her accouchement. ⁷ As soon as anything is decided I will let you know, but on her must very much depend all our movements, as he is really not in a State to take care of her in travelling & I doubt even their being able to go to any cool place in the North of Italy. All this affects her spirits as you may suppose, not withstanding her natural calmness. Almost everybody is going or gone, we shall soon have nothing left but the natives. Tous les alentours ⁸ are in the greatest beauty, I took a walk to day among gardens, & it is a great charm that everything is open no fences, no divisions – I pursued Endless paths among the green corn which was full of that beautiful purple gladiolus, & a large lilac conoolooley that crept along the ground, & covered the banks. all sorts of lovely weeds in blossom, of the brightest colours, & on either hand orange trees perfuming the air. That mixture of the utile & the dulei, of the fields & the garden is I think particularly agreeable & is owing to their planting everything with the <spa?> & never using a plough, and the total absence of cattle making Every sort of wall or defence quite unnecessary. It is a backward spring this year, but the roses are in blow. Horatia ⁹ has composed some beautiful music which was performed with a full band of instruments & voices, she was delighted to hear it done such justice to. Give my blessing to my little Ela & a thousand loves to her Mother. Caroline is anxious you should answer her questions about M^rs W. ¹⁰ by return of post. Viz. is she a comfortable person? is she willing to come so far? M^rs F. was quite attendri ¹¹ at hearing of your little girl.

H. Fox Talbot E^s
31 Sackville Street
London
Angleterre