TALBOT3154

Nice
22 Octobre

My Dearest Henry

I wish this letter could overtake the one I wrote you so lately – Horatia’s ¹ bleedings at the nose began again in the same dreadful manner, any agitation brings it on – & she cannot command that though she does her words & had brought herself to say that she thought I should be better in health & happiness in England. It bled more than sixteen ounces this time, & weakens her shockingly. The English Surgeon says it is a local relaxation of an artery of the head & that nothing can cure it but having time to heal & strengthen itself between the bleedings – for which it is necessary to be kept perfectly quiet from all mental agitation. But since all this loss of blood, the rhumatism [sic] & stiffness of her fingers (whenever she played the harp particularly) is gone off – so that quelque chose malheur est bon. ² This will I think make it unnecessary for her to go to Aix (detestable place) next autumn, & she has very much set her heart on not going there, but on passing her time instead comfortably as we used to do alltogether [sic] at L. abbey. She has lately lost that rhumatic pain in her heel which prevented her taking walks all last year, she could only ride & dance all last winter. Under these improved circumstances she need not be punished by a sejour ³ at Aix, this place seeming to have done as well. And now my dear Henry do tell me what you mean by that alarming sentence in your letter about the life of a Country gentleman? I truly hope it does not include the Abbey - but pray explain. Certainly that sort of life does not suit you, but I hope for many hours of comfort with you enclosed in those Cloistered walls, where is the haven in which I would lie, and being quite determined to pass my old age there, if you are willing.- I cannot bear any of those negative phrases from your pen. I have just got a paper signed by M^r. F. that he will be ready & willing to leave this the 1^st February. The if we all go to Paris together I can leave them there & make the best of my way to Laycock, if you are then there, & stay till I meet them in Sackville Street, by which time my separation from Horatia will be one Month instead of five. I do not wonder M^r F. ⁴ was enraged at my change of plans again after he had taken this large house & laid out some money to make it comfortable as it is quite new, hardly finished. He has done everything to coax me but after all the only thing that will enable me to get through the winter is thinking it will be short. Pray do nothing rash about la casa Badia

Where do the Lansdownes ⁵ spend that [period?] ⁶? surely they will not [missing text] Ireland –

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