TALBOT3873

Tuesday

My Dear Henry

This morning before I was visible arrived D^r Hamel ¹ from Hamburgh, perhaps you know him (by name at least) as he is Membre de l’Académie Imperiale de Science de S^t Petersbourg. ² He had infinite trouble to find you out, having been sent first to various of Lord Talbots’ Sons, & then to Queen Anne Street. ³ I gave him all mine & some you sent for Matilda, ⁴ so you must send me some more for her. ⁵ He wanted them extremely to send to Russia by the Sirius ⁶ which sails tomorrow. They are for the Emperor’s second son, ⁷ a very scientific young Man. He wishes to lay some before the Czarowitch ⁸ who arrives in London on Friday, & I promised you would send me some more for him. He was particularly struck with those done from Nature[.] ⁹ The Tower-at-Laycock Abbey, windows & riband which latter preferences rather surprized me, tho’ it did not in the Queen. ¹⁰ I gave him likewise many botanicals & the black lace. He is extremely eager, & I gave him your works on Photogeny & Genesis, ¹¹ & promised him Hermes ¹² but was at the moment unprovided with a copy. He seems a man of Universal [illegible] & exceedingly agreeable, & so enthusiastic about you he wants to go down to L. Abbey, but I told him you were coming to town soon. Have you seen the Mirror a publication Wright ¹³ brought me, with lithographed Photogeny? ¹⁴ a D^r Golding Bird¹⁵ figures in it--