TALBOT4677

Champs Elysées 26
Tuesday Dec^r 20^th 1842

My dear Henry

Do pray execute your project of coming over here in January – It will be so snug to have you here as well as Mamma & Horatia ¹ & will besides be exceedingly good for you – It will also be the best means I should think of settling the affair of the Patent in the way you wish – for it seems a difficult matter zu behandeln ² without you – Do come; you can never have a better opportunity than now when we are all here. – Apropos of Calotypes, I want to ask if it would be consistent either with your rights, or with the prospect of an advantageous sale of the Patent, if I were to offer for sale some of those you have given me at the Polish Bazaar ³ – it first struck me as une idée lumineuse; ⁴ but I afterwards reflected it might be injurious to y^r interests, & subject me to be prosecuted with the utmost rigour of the law. If you think otherwise, let me know by return of Post – for tho’ the Bazaar begins on the 26^th yet as it goes on for 4 days, I might still have y^r reply before it closes – If I hear nothing of course I shall not sell any. – Jane ⁵ went yesterday, in order to spend Christmas at Merthyr Moor ⁶ – Mr N. ⁷ arrived a few days before; & on Saturday they dined with us, as well as Caroline de Bonneval & Amandier ⁸ – & exceedingly merry we all were. She had only 3 children with her; Lucy, Christina & Judy – Ilted ⁹ came on leave for a few days on his return f^m Quebec; but was was obliged to go back to join the Pique at Portsmouth. It is all settled about Valletort’s ¹⁰ Holidays – David ¹¹ set off on Sunday & was to meet him this evening at Dover, where Wright ¹² was to take him from School. –

I saw M^lle Rachel ¹³ the other day for the first time; in Marie Stuart ¹⁴ – I like her extremely; tho’ in the scene where she comes out into the open air for the first time, she was much less effective than M^lle Duchesnois ¹⁵ – Her interview with Qⁿ Elizabeth, ¹⁶ & the last scene were exceedingly fine –

Lebe wohl, lieber Bruder ¹⁷

Y^rs very aff^ly
Caroline

I have just rec^d such a charming letter f^m C^ss Waldstein ¹⁸ f^m Lentomischl –

[envelope:]
Angleterre
Henry Fox Talbot Esq^re
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts