TALBOT517

Rottingdean ¹

Sept^br 23^rd 1810 –

My Dear Mamma,

I did not write to you for a long while, because I had nothing to say – I will now tell you about the garden. White Lavatera is only a mallow, with a large, pink, showy flower. Alkekengè ² buds are about as big as this when they blow <illustration> but this is more like the bud <illustration> – Several of the flowers are in seed, as Roman Nettle, Cyanus, Cantania, Yellow Hawkweed, & Moldavian Balm, Marvel of Peru does not seem inclined to blow at all, so I wish you would send me a description of its flowers. I will shew you what the flowers are like – Alkekengè is like this <illustration> small & several leaves jagged at the edge & of a very dark green. Cantania is thus <illustration> – its flower is this <illustration> F. Manning – J. Smith – G. Smith ³ – &? Bowden went to the play last night a man incautiously put a gun too near a womans face & shot her, she was a good deal hurt.

Your affectionate son

W. H. F. Talbot

To
Lady Elizabeth Feilding

31 Sackville Street
London