TALBOT4432

[The envelope for this letter is in a private collection:]
H. F. Talbot Esq^re
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts

__________________

Florence.
Friday Feb^y 11^th 1842

My dear Henry

I reproach myself for having been so very long without writing to you – & I think I cannot begin again on a more propitious day than this, of which we both wish you many many happy returns. – We are getting very anxious to hear some news of Constance, ¹ & hope you will not fail to give us the earliest possible information – Our last letter from Mamma ² was dated 24^th Jan^y – in which she declares her intention of remaining for the present at Laycock Abbey, which I am very glad of. –It is now some time since Annie ³ has been quite able to travel; but just at that moment the weather was intensely cold, the ground, & even roofs of the houses covered with snow, & the roads declared to be impassable for all but couriers, who were sometimes many hours, or even a whole day behind hand – This subsequently proved to be wholly untrue – but it certainly w^d have been too great a risk for a person only just recovering, to encounter several day’s [sic] journey in such severe weather – & besides all this, a secret influence was at work to keep us here for Lady Holland’s ⁴ Ball, & the last days of the Carnival – In fact it would have been dismal to have missed them both here & at Rome, & to have passed the Mardi Gras at Radicofani in a tourmente of snow – However, had there been no Ball in prospect, we could not have set out – there certainly seems a spell against our ever getting to Rome – Ever since L^y Holland’s first Ball on the 17^th Jan^y Ernest ⁵ has been more or less suffering – About a week About ten days ago he had a sharp attack of gout in the elbow, w^h was got rid of in three or four days with the help of Colchicum – This was followed however by fever w^h has now lasted about a week; & tho’ not of a violent nature, it will not go – Last night he was less restless than before – & today certainly seems better – but D^r Ulrich ⁶ thinks it is a gastric fever & must last some days longer – this is very vexatious – besides the name frightens one – Annie’s complaint was a gastric fever – only of an inflammatory kind, with a complaint of the liver & head at the same time therefore of course much worse & more complicated – D^r U. does not think it will encrease; on the contrary he is better today – but it must have it’s [sic] run of some days – I believe the climate to be wholly in fault – the wind is still in the cold quarter, & the sun gets hotter every day – I am happy to say however that Charlie ⁷ has got well at last, & goes out now every day. –

Saturday

We were delighted this morning by a letter from Mamma containing the very news we were so anxious for – My little nephew ⁸ was only an hour old when it was written – but Mamma’s account of him & Constance are both excellent – & I must wish you both joy of this great event – particularly Constance, who I know wished so much for a son – I hope everything will go on as prosperously without M^rs Wilkes, ⁹ tho’ I fear she will be much missed. – We have made acquaintance with your friend Professor Amici ¹⁰ & like him extremely, independently of you, for whose sake we were naturally predisposed in his favour already – We met him first at dinner at L^d Vernon’s; ¹¹ after which he dined with us, & has since been to see & drink tea with us several times – He has been settled here these ten years, & has married his eldest son, ¹² who I believe is a Professor at Pisa, to the last rampollo of the Medici family ¹³ – He is extremely well bred & agreable [sic, & talks beautiful Italian – somebody told him he ought to have gone to the Bal costumé as Galileo – con un canocchiale [sic] in mano per guardare tutte le signore! ¹⁴ I gave him one of your printed papers containing two letters upon Calotypes ¹⁵ – He understands English perfectly, & after perusing them attentively, discovered what is very true, that you say nothing as to the means of preparing the paper, w^h is what he wants to know – “ Ecco quel che dice il Signor Talbot: ¹⁶ After preparing paper in various ways – va bene, ma in che maniera? Pare che dica molto, e non dice nulla”! ¹⁷ I think he would be much pleased if you would send him your first printed letters on the original discovery, as here they have nothing but Daguerréotypes – He took us the other day to see the Tribuna di Galileo, ¹⁸ a beautiful room at the Accademia Museo, opened last year at the meeting of the Savans – It is painted in fresco by the best artists – the subjects are different traits of Galileo’s ¹⁹ life, & all the little ornaments represent some of his astronomical discoveries – There is also a good marble statue of him, & the Grand Duke ²⁰ had all the instruments made in that day, collected in the same room – particularly some w^h actually belonged to Galileo himself – Amici introduced us to the Director, il Cav. Antinori, ²¹ a very clever & pleasant person, who was so charmed with your Photographs, ²² (w^h I carried with me at Amici’s desire,) that I gave him two views of the Abbey – in return for this, he sent me a book for you in w^h he wrote “ Al chiarissimo Fisico, H. F. Talbot,” in argomento di profonda Stima – Vincenzio Antinori ²³”. It is a reprint of an old work, concerning the transactions of l’Accademia del Cimento, ²⁴ published I think about 1669, containing plates of all the instruments then in use – at least thermometers, hygrometers, air-pumps &c – with a preface said to be very well written by Antinori – I thanked him duly in your name – As we were crossing the Botanic Garden at the museo, I was constrained, nothing loth, to open my portfolio again, in order to shew the gardener the photographs of leaves & plants. – We then all stood in a group while our portraits were taken with the Daguerréotype & to finish our séance ²⁵ Amici took us up to the top of the Specola ²⁶ lately built, together with the Museo Leopoldo adjoining the Palazzo Pitti – The view from thence is lovely, & we enjoyed our morning excessively – I gave Amici hopes you w^d pay him a visit when you come for Horatia, w^h I am sure will delight him – In the mean time pray send him the account of the original discovery, as amongst us all we have contrived to forget it. – Give my tender love to dear Constance, & kiss the neo nato’s ²⁷ hand for me – Tell Mamma I will write directly & thank her much for her letter –

Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline