TALBOT3445

Laycock Abbey

7^th February

My Dearest Henry

I am very sorry to hear you have got the Influenza, as I know how bad it is, being now only convalescent. I hope you will submit to staying in bed at least one day, that seems to be the sine quâ non ¹ of a cure, and by resisting I prolonged mine & was at last obliged to stay two days in bed dont je viens de me relever, ² & am so weak I should not write to day if it was not to tell you of Kit & L^y Charlotte ³ whom I had not heard a word of since I saw you till this Morning, when I had a Letter from him saying they will be home on or about the 14^th – This will suit you exactly.

He tells me Charlotte has had a dreadful fall from her horse, i.e. dreadful to see & very dangerous, but it ended in some bad bruises, though she had a narrow escape of her life. I am so thankful Horatia ⁴ has given up riding!

I am expecting Mary Talbot ⁵ in her way from Belgrave Square to Glamorganshire only for one day. It is a good sign of Jane ⁶ that she is well enough to be left. You know she was very ill.

Our Party came to nothing, M^r Vivian was ⁷ prevented by a fall from his horse somewhere near Bath, which he says cut him to pieces – M^rs & Miss Methuen (M^{r 8} being in Town) were seized with the Influenza, M^r Moore ⁹ was in bed with the same, & M^rs Moore ¹⁰ staid to nurse him, and as it turned out I should have been too ill to receive them.

M^r Horseman ¹¹ M.P. for Cockermouth (what an ignoble name!) seems to intend to make it famous by the best speech that has been heard for a long time. It was admired by all parties. Amandier ¹² has determined to leave Lady Dundonald ¹³ – tho’ the pay w is very high the place w is too uncomfortable – & puis c’est une femme qui ne pense qu’à sa toilette & qui neglige sa fille, qui a dejà quinze ans passés. ¹⁴ Certainly A. is very unlucky, & has spent so much money in that long journey from Lancashire in the depth of winter. She has some prospect of being named Dame de Compagnie ¹⁵ to the Ex Queen of Naples, who is now at Paris but generally lives at Florence. You may remember what a fancy we took to Caroline of Naples, ¹⁶ la reine ¹⁷ Murat as they called her at Venice, and she was particularly civil to A. at that time. It is impossible to foresee how these things turn out, or whether desirable for her.

I see the King of the <Gypsies?> is just dead at 99! what a healthy Life is <sic> must be.

Wright ¹⁸ has had it very bad & was obliged to be moved to another room as it rained in through the Leads owing to incursions of Ivy creeping in for years past.

Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
Sidmouth
Devon