British Museum
20th Feby 1838
My dear Sir
I am sure you will forgive my apparent inattention in not having long since acknowledged the receipt of the Drawings of the Circular Crystals, 1 which you were so good as to send me & also your second kind Letter, – when I tell you that for the last 12 days the state of Mrs Children’s 2 Health has been so alarming that my anxiety on her account has almost driven every thing else out of my head. Altho’ she still continues in a very precarious state, I will not longer defer thanking you for your very kind & interesting present and communications, especially as through the kindness of Sir Philip Egerton, 3 I can do so without putting you to the expence of postage – The drawings are very beautiful – & I hope soon to succeed in obtaining crystals that will prove their accuracy – Garden has prepared some of the phosphoro-boracic salt prisms as you direct, but, for the reasons I have given above, I have not yet been able to try its effect under the polarising microscope – I hope you will pardon my having transferred the drawings to another person, – & not, therefore, impute an indifference to me, as to their value and interest, which I am indeed most far from feeling – The fact is they were shewn to the Duke of Sussex, & H.R.H. 4 was so much delighted with them, that I had them put up together in a little cover, & presented them to Him – He was very much pleased with the present. – and [sic] they formed part of the exhibition at his Soirée at the Palace on Saturday evening – If you make any farther progress with the Crystals, or on any other branch of your [illegible] valuable researches I hope you will communicate them to the R.S. – I will let you know how my crystals perform – Our winter seems to have recommenced for the third time – it is most unfortunate weather for my poor invalid!
I am ever My dear Sir, faithfully Your’s [sic]
John Geo. Children
If Mr C. Curtis 5 be still with you pray make my Compts to Him – He is a very clever artist. –
[envelope:]
H. F. Talbott [sic] Esqr
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Please cite as “TALBOT3646,” in Ɛpsilon: accessed on