TALBOT4860

Hotel Grande Bretagne
Florence.

May 28. 1869

My Dear Charles

I have just received your letter ¹ of the 25^th Monie ² and I did not go to Naples, because she was unwilling to be so long absent from the rest of the party. We returned here by a different line of railway through Civita Vecchia, Leghorn and Pisa. This road is flat and passes in great part over a desert country, formerly so unwholesome as to be almost uninhabited, now partly drained. It is <missing text> ³ as the Maremma. At this ti<me?> of year it is covered with Cistuses and many other flowers and looks pleasant. Your mother, Ela ⁴ and I are soon going to return home – Your mother is tired of the Continent and of hotel life and wishes to be quite quiet at Lacock for the summer months – but I am glad to say she seems pretty well, and much stronger than at Venice last year –

Monie and M^lle Amélina ⁵ are going to remain in Italy until next spring – They enjoy Italy so much that it would have been a pity for them to come home. They are first going to Lucca Baths ⁶ for 2 months. They expect to find it very agreeable and Rosamond means to make numerous sketches. Good walkers can find many charming walks in that locality, among mountains and chesnut woods

Adieu
Your aff^te

Father

Envelope:

Charles H. Talbot Esq
New University Club
S^t James’s S^t
London
Angleterre