TALBOT3102

Nice
16 June

My Dear Henry

I have just received your duplicate of the 25^th April – possibly the delay was owing to your directing by the general post to the Suisse ¹ instead of inclosing it to him by the Ambassador’s bag. However that may be, it is written on the letter trouvé dans la boîte. ² We should have remained longer at Genoa but for the impending journey of L^d V. ³ to Lucca to consult the Homoepathic [sic] Doctor Necker, which he is bent upon doing, but on our return we found him hardly more fit to travel than when we left him. We found all our old friends extremely civil & went every night to the Opera with the Brignoles Durazzos, Dorias, Balbis & tous les noms Historiques de Gênes. ⁴ all their boxes were at our disposal & we were comblés de politesses. ⁵ M. Di’Negro has enlarged & beautified his garden alla Viletta, & gathered for us some delicious nefles du japon which were growing in profusion, & many rare flowers in his green house. ⁶

Our garden at the Casa Fravega is very much neglected & has more weeds at present than anything else altogether Genoa is much embellished since our time, & I think there seems the same Spirit of improvement (as to buildings at least) going on in every town I have been in, owing probably to the long peace. Here they have amazing projects both for ornament & convenience, which those who come here ten years hence will profit by. The heat is now so great that one cannot live but à l’Italienne, which includes passing all the day with the Persiennes close shut, & so dark that I can hardly see what I write, so you must excuse being rather illegible. One great obstacle to taking up the beautiful things we saw on the Corniche is that being in flower there was no chance of the plant surviving & when not in flower we cannot know they are pretty. Wright attempted one bulbous plant near Oniglia but the root lay too low for his knife. The evenings are cool & agreeable, with the most lovely [Moon?] ⁷ lights. They are walking all night long [on] the terrace & serenading – in short they turn day into night, but unfortunately I cannot take a siesta, sleep will not come. I cannot conceive anything more happy than Constance ⁸ enjoying all the pleasures of recovering from a long illness with her little Ela ⁹ in her arms the fresh air of the country & all that at dear thrice dear Laycock abbey. How much I envy you being there & how often I have thought of you since y^r letter came telling me the day you were to be there. In this heat you are enjoying y^r selves drinking coffee in the cloisters no doubt. Is Constance strong enough yet to walk out? She will soon I am sure in that good air. Tell me about the Christening.

I have always wished to see the Fortress of Pignerol where Louis 14 ¹⁰ confined the Duc de [Langan?] & Fouquet, ¹¹ & if the weather is not too hot I think of accompanying so far M^r F. & Horatia ¹² on their way to Aix. Always direct here, as it will be our head quarters till after the confinement

Could you not naturalize the neflier du japon in England? it is one of the best of fruits & well worth a little trouble – It would ripen probably in October instead of May.

H. Fox Talbot Esq^r
Laycock abbey
Chippenham
Wiltshire
Angleterre