TALBOT3292

London
4^th June –

My Dear Henry

We admire your California flowers extremely – they are duly installées in a beautiful French Pot à fleurs ¹ to be examined by all comers. I sent William’s ² bouquet to him immediately for fear of its being fané ³ before he saw it, tho’ I suppose Botanists do not regard that. He never thought of sending me Constance’s ⁴ letter enclosed to him, but after he was gone out to dinner his servant saw it on the table & brought it here at nine o’clock in the Evening. I find I have quite lost my taste for London, and Louisa’s ⁵ departure for the Continent adds to my degoût pour le grand Monde. ⁶ Years & absence prevent one’s taking the same interest in people & things that one did formerly – and only that I think it right to shew people that Horatia ⁷ still exists I should not waste my time in this town. She contrived to catch a torticoli ⁸ at the Music at Lansdowne House ⁹ Thursday, & was in consequence not able to go to the ball at Devonshire House the next Night, nor will She be able to go to Lady Londonderry’s ¹⁰ to night. It is a sad thing she is so tender, & really unfit to live in the North. She is always frileuse, ¹¹ which D^r Verity said at Paris is entirely owing to the general weakening of the system, which has not power to propel the blood with proper & healthy energy through the heart. It is very puzzling to know what to do about her, because after a three years absence from London she certainly ought to be seen here, and yet I fear she has not strength for much; and if she is seen not looking well it does more harm than good. Her beautiful Paris robes de bal ¹² might as well never have been made, for she has not been able to go to one yet. M^r F. ¹³ is better, but this damp weather is against him. I am glad to find from Constance’s note that she is to have so good a remplaçente ¹⁴ for Marianne. ¹⁵ I wish anything was settled about L. Abbey the uncertainty fidgets me much & adds to my weight of care I suppose Collins was the Botanic Individual who collected the Specimens, as I see that Collinsonias abound in California. Let me know what day you come, for fear somebody else should have possession of your bed. Why have you never mentioned the seeds I sent you down by Pullen ¹⁶ – I hope he took care of them – There is a Man always coming bothering to be paid for your foreign papers

Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts.