TALBOT5998

My Dear Henry

Your letter was a most agreable [sic] & acceptable one, & both my Father & ourselves ¹ are very much obliged for your present. – I assure you we had fully intended treating ourselves to your "Etymologies" ² but since our return to England we have had time for nothing, – & poor M^r Mundy not being able to read at all as yet, our literary pursuits have been at low tide. Now however I hope we may begin again & we have much to read that has been published since we have been away. –

This reminds me of your Scottish Photographs ³ which came out just as we left England & to which we subscribed – but we have never had our Copy –. I named this to Nicole ⁴ when we were in London a few weeks ago but he told me that he had nothing to say to it nor to the Pencil of Nature – Is N^o 6 the last of the Pencils? ⁵ – We want to know this very much – I am delighted & extremely proud & flattered that you like my journal ⁶ – I had no idea it would amuse anybody but myself – pray send me the Photographs you mention which illustrate it – I shall like them of all things, so do not forget me I suppose Constance ⁷ has also got for me in charge from Horatia ⁸ a small book full of pictures of Monks &cc [sic] – . Will you tell her that Noel’s ⁹ Tutor is not yet in Orders so he cannot be the person who was your Chaplain. Au reste I am very grateful to her for her Caution. – He arrived about 2 hours ago so I have had no time as yet to judge much but we like his manner &c and he is of a very clever family. Uncle John ¹⁰ writes me word that all is going on very flourishingly with him, but does not tell me what his bambino is to be called – I daresay it is Giles ¹¹ but I do not know. –

Have you heard how well they make Orange Trees grow at Moreton ¹² from strik[in]g the leaves? – It seems to me a great advantage, because these require no grafting. –

Give my aff^te love to Constance & again thanking you, from my father especially, for your book Believe me

Y^r Aff Cousin & Sister in law
H Georg^a Mundy

Markeaton
Sept^r 30.

We have just bought a Poney, w^ch act having taken place on the Feast of SS. Cosmo & Damiano fratelli, I have named Cosmo. I wonder what the servants think Cosmo means! –