TALBOT3947

4 October /39 ¹

My Dear Henry

By this morning’s post I received a letter from Miss Fox ² which I lost no time in communicating to you, as it gave me so much pleasure. Her’s enclosed one from Lady Calcott ³ to her, saying that her husband Sir Augustus ⁴ wished very much to be en rélation ⁵ with you, as he thinks your discovery may be rendered very important to Art, indeed he is persuaded of it. This from a great Painter, is most satisfying & pleases me much. You may remember a very good picture of his at Bowood, ⁶ Lady C. is a great friend of Louisa’s, ⁷ & a very clever woman. She was M^rs Graham & authoress of Letters from the Mountains near Rome ⁸ published many years ago, & after that was Governess to Maria da Gloria ⁹ in the Brazils, & wrote a work about that Country. She is now old & in bad health, but Miss Fox says her mental energy is as great as ever, & that you would find her a very amusing correspondent. However she says Sir A. would prefer conversation & if you are disposed to make his acquaintance would be extremely flattered

Sir Augustus has been to see the Exhibitor in London, & thinks him a clumsy man ¹⁰ – I mean the Man who shews Daguerre’s ¹¹ system Lady C. says the experiment failed that day entirely, but the specimens shewed what could be done, “The only superiority over M^r Fox Talbot’s is that of minute & clear representation owing to the superior smoothness of the surface of metal plates over paper.”

Lady C. proceeds to say that Sir Augustus is waiting to consult Miss Fox on the possibility of having some communication with M^r Fox Talbot. He is very indignant that Arago ¹² with his usual nationality pretends entirely to overlook your Papers and gives the credit of the discovery to Daguerre. This makes Miss Fox very angry too, & ought to stir up English ire.

I don’t know where Sir A & Ly Calcott live, but the Porter at Lansdowne House ¹³ can tell, as there is always a great deal of intercourse. If you are determined not to live here, it certainly would be useless to make a Flower garden, but that need not prevent any filling it up & grassing it over, which would make the place dryer and prettier, nothing can be uglier than it is now covered with wild weeds, & “the green mantle of the Standing Pool” owing to the everlasting wet weather and old age the banks are dégradés ¹⁴ & must require repairs or they will soon fall in, unless it is to be filled up. Everybody’s first remark when they walk round is “how damp it must be, with so many ponds” – which does not convey a pleasing idea.

I have ascertained the expense & if you will not consent, I intend to take the soil to fill up that most distant pond which you used to wish was annihilated, I mean where the old willows are & which is now a swamp. It must benefit the place to make it dryer & wholsomer [sic]. But of course the one nearest the house & most in sight is best worth the expense. The top was always meant to be taken from the banks of the river because that is a rich soil but anything does for the under part.

Pray answer this by return of post & remember that I don’t care about its being a flower garden as long as so ugly an object is done away with. Tell me what I shall say to Miss Fox, I must answer her letter but will not till I hear from you If you consent, that place will be filled up in 3 Weeks by Waggons - with our little Cart bringing soil from the river side, as you propose it would take many months even if the garden men had not other employments. Now my way will take up nobody’s time or money but my own. So pray ruminate upon it. réflechissez y – ravisez vous ¹⁵ – One must you know, have some occupation in the Country, or nobody could stand the dullness of a Country life in such a climate as England – I like my employments to be something of lasting use & thus money is well laid out. Besides if it amuses it is as well spent as in an Opera Box &c &c

I am to go into deep mourning for Lord M^t Edgcombe, ¹⁶ what an absurd custom that is! – It is raining to day as if it had never rained before – you are well to be in a dry place

Aff Y^rs
EF