TALBOT5207

Mount Edgcumbe ¹
Thursday March 13^th 1845 –
finished Friday

My dear Henry

I saw M^r Condy ² today – One of the persons he mentioned to you, the principal one, is M^r Haydon, a young Sculptor,^<3> whom he is well acquainted with & can quite recommend. He says that he has a great deal of taste & artistic skill, which I think you would find of great use – He has made many attempts at Talbotypes,³ & M^r Condy says has succeeded extremely well – that is to say they are faint but managed with great skill as to effect of light & shade.

He moreover thinks he would be glad to accept any offer, & that your idea of not occupying the whole of his time w^d suit him particularly well. He will however write to him immediately to find out more about his plans, & let you know the moment he hears. M^r Haydon he tells me is quite enthusiastic about your Art.

I should think it w^d answer extremely well to engage an Artist in the business, & if you wanted more help like Nicole’s, ⁴ purely mechanical, it c^d easily be found. But with a person answering the description M^r Condy gives of his friend, you might be spared the trouble & ennui of examining every individual plate. Pray impart this letter to Mamma ⁵ & she will write me her opinion upon the subject.

The weather has been very cold since I came here; & today quite bitter – with a regular gale from the Eastward.

They are actually going to build a Battery in Picklecoombe with a Barrack to contain 60 men, who will occupy it without waiting for actual war – They will however make it in any shape we please & as picturesque as we like; which must be our consolation. Are you thinking of coming here with Nicole? M^r Condy is dying to make you talbotype some of the old drinking vessels at Cotehele, particularly a certain salver sculptured in relief by a celebrated Dutch modeller – which he says is too complicated to sketch – He w^d have liked you to have made it to insert in his forthcoming work upon Cotehele ⁶ – The letter press is by M^r Arundale, ⁷ rector of Landulph, where the last of the Paleologi is buried – he was Chaplain at Smyrna, is a great Antiquarian, & wrote the Hist: of the Seven Churches ⁸ –

y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline