TALBOT3118

Saturday August 22^d

Dearest Henry

I was very grieved at the contents of Lady Elisabeths ¹ letter; but alas! after the account in the last to Lady Lansdowne ² it was no worse than I expected. Poor Caroline! ³ how severely she must feel this second blow – Will they not certainly return to England after experiencing nothing but sorrows abroad? now I should think Lord Valletort ⁴ himself will be the first to urge it. –

I mean to write by the next post to Lady Elisabeth – I conclude you have already done so – I long to hear how you bore the Assizes – whether you were less fatigued by them in mind than usual. – My Father’s ⁵ newspaper gives an unfavorable description of the new Courts; but how came they to make such very bad arrangements? perhaps however the building may not be considered entirely finished –

I have been so gay here you would be quite surprised & after all I have done I only feel a little tired which is perfectly natural. – I am convinced that the air of this place suits me admirably. – even the bright sun which we have had, & which I have ventured to encounter en plein air has [illegible deletion] never given me a headache or dazzling, but only tired my eyes a little – & I eat & sleep in the superlative degree – I was very much pleased with Carisbrook castle, ⁶ which Laura ⁷ took me to see on Tuesday. – I mounted the hill on which it stands under a broiling sun & afterwards ascended a long flight of steps up to the keep of the castle – for which [illegible deletion] most extraordinary effort I did not feel at all the worse – On Wednesday I ventured to the Ball which was admirably cool but dull enough I thought – I believe I have entirely lost my taste for that sort of thing – [illegible deletion] I employed myself in moralizing on the frivolity & unsatisfactoriness of such a way of spending one’s time. – Not so M^rs Heneage ⁸ – she seemed to enter into the whole thing with the utmost animation, & knew I believe every creature in the room. – She certainly has very pleasing friendly manners & drew towards me in a very agreeable way; just as I should wish one’s neighbour in the country to do. – Laura & I went out sailing with her on Thursday – we had a lovely day & I enjoyed it extremely – we went near to the Portsmouth, had an excellent view of some large ships lying off there – a band was playing on board of one of them & had an excellent effect as we passed. – Yesterday was the Regatta with fireworks in the evening. – The different Yachts, the pilot boats, & quantities of little pleasure boats were sailing about the whole of the day & a prettier or more animated sight could not easily be imagined. I consider that my chancing to be here for the occasion was a great piece of good fortune. – [illegible deletion] I certainly never expected to have seen it & probably I never may be here again, & I assure you I did like it very much. Marian ⁹ too was able to see a chief part of the day’s entertainment by taking up a position in M^r Corbit’s ¹⁰ [sic] garden – Lady Mary Cole, ¹¹ the Trahernes, ¹² M^r Cole ¹³ &c &c joined our party in the garden – the greater part of the fashionable would spent the evening at Lady Listowel’s ¹⁴ & many were established in front of the Yacht Club. – I think we were lucky in having a private garden to ourselves as we saw just as well & were not incommoded by the crowd – Sir Charles Lemon ¹⁵ has just called & seeing me engaged in writing offered a frank. – He arrived only this morning – might as well have been here yesterday I think. – He told me he had had a good account from Nice – alas! I felt I could not do otherwise than undeceived him – but I was concerned at the pain it seemed to give him. He feels so acutely for the sorrows of others! – I did not think him looking well. – I am longing to know when you think of setting out on your travels. – please to tell Fitzsimmons ¹⁶ that if he sends me a basket of fruit about a week from this time will do, – as we are at this moment supplied from Markeaton. ¹⁷ – grapes will be the most acceptable when they are ripe. – I wish you would command George ¹⁸ to pick up some Yew berries for me – there are plenty on the East terrace –

Ela ¹⁹ is very florishing [sic] & send her Papa 2 or 3 of her best kisses. – My Mother ²⁰ is a wee bit better – but very uncomfortable still. – [illegible deletion] her attack has been much more serious than we expected at first. – They move into the Corbets’ house on Monday – the garden will be a great delight both to her & to Marian.

Adieu it seems already an age since we parted –

Y^rs aff
Constance

I continue to like my quarters in the tiny cottage I go there to repose sometimes when I am tired & though small, it is airy enough –

[address panel:]
Cowes, August twenty two 1835
Henry Fox Talbot Esq^re
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
[illegible] C Lemon