TALBOT3153

Nice
20 October

My Dear Henry

Ever since it was decided that I was to stay here, I have fallen into a kind of dépressement, ¹ to which your letters received yesterday ont mis le comble. ² I Made a super human effort to stay by way of being of use to Horatia, ³ mais c’est plus fort que Moi ⁴ – I cannot bear it, and though I wrote to you yesterday, yet I write again to day to say that if you have not already made any alterations in your plans for the Winter, you may expect me. I shall not set off till I have your answer, which I ought to receive on the 3^d or the 4^th as the Mails in France now travel rapidly. November is generally a Mild Month, & as I shall be in a close carriage it will do very well for travelling. I may be with you by the 1^st December, & shall give up all thoughts of a picturesque journey by the Col de Tande because it is covered with deep snow. If I go to England (which now depends on your answer) I have not lost much time as Gwynne ⁵ is but just able to go with me now. It is possible you may have made other schemes & Engagements, which I would not derange, but your entertaining the Savants in London might be while I am in Dorsetshire, for I am anxious you should do it. San quintino ⁶ is destitué ⁷ & lives I believe at Paris. The person at the head of the museum at Turin they say has more talent. The only thing I regret is that we took so large a house, as of course Horatia will not want to give any thing – & a small one would have sufficed for her & M^r F. ⁸ but those are secondary considerations compared with health, spirits & happiness, none of which are here for me – unless indeed you could come. Politics are disgusting at present, & when O’Connel ⁹ has dined with the Viceroy it is time to give up the Whigs. I consider it the meanest thing they ever did. Your scheme ¹⁰ for a H. of Lords composed of the 200 Oldest creations is very fair, none of them were made by Pitt, ¹¹ & would be as impartial a method of selection as any. Make haste a [sic] write – love to dear Constance ¹²

aff Y
EF

I already feel Ela ¹³ in my arms – Carina! ¹⁴

You have no idea how like Bimbo ¹⁵ is to you at that age in his ways & ideas

was it not rather depensier ¹⁶ to buy the ponies? post horses are just as well for merely visiting neighbours, & much more economical Don’t you remember at Drummond Castle ¹⁷ that Lady Willoughby ¹⁸ always took us out driving every morning with ex post horses, Keeping none themselves in Scotland – upon that principle.

H. F. Talbot Esq^r
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wiltshire
Angleterre