Oxford.
Aug 31. 18441
Dear Sir
Yesterday afternoon, Mr Drury of Shotover Park,2 near this City, called upon me to say that he had just learned you were in town, and would be happy if you could arrange to accompany me and spend today with him. I did not succeed in finding you. This morning I have had a note from Mr Drury regretting his not having the pleasure of seeing you and desiring me to inform you that whenever you come to Oxford he shall have much pleasure in receiving you at Shotover Park, and shall be glad to send his carriage for you, if you have not a conveyance of your own with you. The place is worth seeing, not only on account of its beautiful scenery – for the demesne is in what was a Royal Forest – but because of its fine collection of portraits by Vandyke.
If I can do anything for your Pencil of Nature,3 by noticing it in the Oxford Herald I shall be happy to do so – I hope you will favor me with a view of Moore’s4 portrait, and allow me to shew it to Mr Drury, who is something of an artist himself.
Believe me, dear Sir,
Yours faithfully
R. Shelton Mackenzie
– Fox Talbot Esq
[envelope:]
Fox Talbot Esr
&c
Chippenham
Wilts
Please cite as “TALBOT5051,” in Ɛpsilon: accessed on