TALBOT5150

Melbury ¹
6^th January

My Dear Henry

I was disappointed at seeing only the advertisement tho' glad to see how it looked. It attracts the eye more than the former ones, tho' I wonder much at the selection.

I have no notion where you are because you told me you should go to London on the 2^d & yet I think I see a faint post mark of Chippenham on the envelope. I gave Emily Murray ² a N^o 1 Pencil of Nature ³ the day she went away. She is worthy of it, as a great Admirer of yours. She wished to possess it for the sake of the Letter press, but except Patroclus she did not like the choice & said she had some loose ones of yours a thousand times prettier subjects. People in general are more particular about the first number than any other of their works. She did not think you had done yourself justice. [illegible] Traherne ⁴ came here Saturday, which is a good sign of your Aunt Mary. ⁵ Horatia ⁶ is still at Came. M^r Montgomerie ⁷ comes Tuesday. Leonora is to be christened Thursday & I think of going back on the 14^th -

aff^ly y^rs
E F

Before you chuse for N^o 3 I would suggest that copies of Prints are what take the least, because of course they copy exactly all the inaccuracies & the great merit of this invention is its extreme accuracy, & truth to Nature.

[envelope:]
H. Fox Talbot Es^r
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts