TALBOT4271

Lacock
June 4 1841

My Dear Horatia

We had a beautiful passage. The train attained Chippenham ¹ in 3 hours & a quarter. The journey, formerly so tedious, from Wootton Bassett station to Chipp^m was accomplished in 24 minutes. I don't know what has become of the hills; one of which was long & tiresome The distance is also shortened from 18 miles, to 13½ without any explanation of what has been done with the surplus.

Ye Gods, annihilate both time & space
And they have done it.

The Times ² lasted me the whole way, being full of interesting news from China: which has itself been travelling towards us at "railway speed" as may be seen by the dates, viz. from

Canton - 1^st April
Bombay - 1^st May
received in London - 1^st June

Your aff^te
Henry

The gardens are looking very pretty.

P.S. Sunday - Pray tell my mother we will send the Cobourg that is our new vehicle³ to meet you at the station at ¼ past 3 at which hour the 12 oclock train is due. It has a semi-omnibus appearance, & you will probably be hailed by persons enquiring how much you charge for a ride? This occurred to Constance ⁴ the other day when driving to Bath.

Say that a villa between Christiansund & Fleckeroe ⁵ would suit me exactly - Is it within sound of the Maëlstrom?