TALBOT4967

Sunday 16 Jan^{y 1}

My dearest H.

I have seen & talked to Henri Blumenthal ², & think he would suit you very well – He is now with M^rs Canning ³, but she will be going away before you come – Let me know if you like the thoughts of him – & I will see him again, & settle something – Giovanni ⁴ is still without a place & does not seem to take much pains to get one – He is very civil & attentive, & has just now poor Fellow a very bad cold. Baptiste ⁵ is bound by every obligation moral & pecuniary to remain with Mad: de Ségur ⁶ – I have found a Man who promises well, but as he has been here only one day I have as yet only Hopes – This Indemnity which was to “fermer les derniers plaies” ⁷ of the Revolution ⁸ – as [sic] had an exactly opposite effect, & people of all sorts are quarrelling in all parts of the Town ⁹ – The number of curious cases which arise & claims which are put in is quite curious – An Émigré having lost only Funded property is to receive nothing tho’ he may have lost a leg in the Army of Condé ¹⁰ while another a Landholder is to be indemnified though he may have fought against that very army; the D. of Orleans ¹¹ for instance who commanded a Regiment at the Battle of Jemappes ¹². [illegible] those holders of Emigrant property, who on the return of the King made an arrangement as it is called, in other words bought any the chance, or any claim that the Emigrant might in justice [illegible] have to the Property – say they stand in the shoes of the former owner & have a right to whatever share would [illegible deletion] devolves to him – Those who have most think they have nothing unless they get all – on dit ¹³ that one of them said “je ne serai pas content si on ne me rend pas les vingt cinq meilleures années de ma vie –” ¹⁴ In short those who receive are not satisfied & those who pay are of course not in good humour – M. de Villele ¹⁵ has had the mal addresse ¹⁶ to mix up the law of Finance about lowering the Interest, with the [illegible]¹⁷ with which it has in fact nothing to do & so they mutually unpopularize each other – it is by no means certain they will either of them pass. I have nearly made up my mind to go over with Stuart Wortley ¹⁸ on the 2^d Feb^y, & think I shall then very likely meet you in Town – I shall stay a week or ten days – I wish Kit ¹⁹ w^d stir himself in right earnest, & come in himself for the County & bring you in for the Borough –

W. Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
Bowood
Calne