TALBOT4673

Melbury ¹
Saturday
Dec^r 17

My dear Henry

I enclose you a letter from A. ² whereby you will see she has been anxiously expecting an answer from you – in hopes you may be moved to send her one. I am so glad you are coming here for Xmas – you will find plenty of kin – & some lovely flowers – particularly a Bignonia [nenusta?] beyond all praise. I have not given the seeds to Uncle W. ³ yet as he is still at Ab – but he & Uncle J. ⁴ come Monday. We diverted ourselves extremely at Came – they are pleasant goodnatured people & sans façon ⁵ which I like. We came thence yesterday & the Gallweys ⁶ also. Sir W. ⁷ is expected here today. En passant ⁸ we called at Minterne & found a new little cousin just born – a girl unluckily, to poor Theresa’s ⁹ great disappointment The other too [sic] are very pretty little creatures, especially Venetia – Aunt H. suggests the new one should be called Vivonia, a family name in the Strangways pedigree by way of keeping up the V’s. The weather was so bad we could not get to see Edward Digby’s ¹⁰ garden – Mama found a flower painted by her in the year 1788! for old Adm. Digby –

Love to Constance ¹¹ & all the little ones –

Y^r aff sister
Horatia

Wright ¹² went off this morn^g to fetch Val. ¹³ & take him to Dover, where David is to be in waiting to receive him L^d M^t Ed ¹⁴ is already much the better for his quack doctors. L^d Leicester ¹⁵ is to marry Miss Whitbread – he is not yet of age! & there is a report about L^d Auckland ¹⁶ & L^y Falmouth ¹⁷ to that effect but requires confirmation

See the cover

[envelope:]
[inside flap:] Mama[?-under seal] desires me to say Uncle. H. will expect you on the 22^nd. if not sooner
[recto:] W.Henry Fox Talbot Esq^re.
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham