TALBOT6141

Roma
Villa Aldobrandini
Friday 28^th April 1848. –

My dear Henry

I do indeed owe you a letter now, for you have been very good, & have written several times lately. I received yours of the 26^th March contain^g a very exact account of the events at Palermo, extracted from a Naval Officer’s letter – only it was dated the Vanguard, by mistake instead of the Vengeance. ¹ This letter came in L^d Minto’s ² bag, who was still at Rome when it arrived; & Yesterday I received your’s [sic] of the 29^th. This one had also got into L^d M’s bag somehow – I supposed it was returned f^m Palermo to L^d Napier, ³ who forwarded it by the messenger who caught L^d Minto at Poggibonsi – & from thence sent here with others from Aunt Louisa, L^d Lansdowne ⁴ &c, w^h were also directed to Palermo. Both your’s of which you sent us printed copies have therefore been received, & a nice long one from Constance ⁵ written just after you knew we were safe from the bombardment – in fact I do not think that any have been lost. Horatia ⁶ wrote to you since we came here – I believe she explained to you how the good L^d Minto might have done, was frustrated by the delay in his arrival – caused by unfortunately sailing there in the Hibernia, ⁷ w^h voyage lasted 3 days, instead of going in 18 hours by the Bulldog ⁸ – the consequence was that although he brought concessions from the King ⁹ which the heads of the Provisional Gov^t themselves told us far exceeded their utmost expectations, a steam packet w^h left Naples afterwards brought the same in the shape of decrees printed & published, & [illegible deletion] with them the news of the french [sic] revolution – & contrived to reach Palermo the day before so that not only did the change of affairs entirely alter their own views, & induce them to aim still farther – but even L^d M’s offers were no longer treated as a boon – (for by the time he arrived they had already settled to have nothing more to do with the King.) & all the trouble he had been taking for so long was thrown away! Lady Minto ¹⁰ wrote me word yesterday (from Chiavari on her way home) that L^d M. had just had a letter from Stabile, the chief minister of Ruggiero Settimo, ¹¹ declaring that the Sicilians would no longer even have a Bourbon to govern them, but w^d offer the Crown to one of the G^d Duke of Tuscany’s ¹² Sons; & praising the letter highly, & the good sense & moderation of it’s [sic] sentiments. Stabile is a very clever & remarkably agreable [sic] man – we knew him very well. During the rule of the Comitato Generale ¹³ he was the Secretary, & principal minister de facto – & managed all the business with L^d M^t E. ¹⁴ You w^d have been amused to have seen Horatia & I [sic] transcribing affairs of state with him on two or three occasions just before L^d M’s arrival – at the time L^d M^t E. was so very ill he was not able to see him. Gran noi! L^d M^t E. got better afterw^ds. In fact it was the worry of business with no one to help him that brought on his very severe bilious attack. We had a pleasant fortnight during the Minto’s visit, & went several expeditions with them to places where we never had been before under the escort of the Naval Officers, & occasionally with a mounted guard of armed men. Once we went to Piana de’ Greci, a village 16 miles off in the mountains, inhabited by a greek [sic] colony ever since the fall of Constantinople. It was a beautiful & most interesting drive – we had 3 carriages, & a band of 16 of the Squadre on horseback, armed to the teeth; the wildest & most picturesque set you ever saw. We were received & hospitably entertained at luncheon by the Chief man of the village – He & his friends stood round the table attending to us – while the ladies sat in another room – The latter had splendid dresses Pink & red silk petticoats worked & [illegible] with gold; velvet bodies & veils trimmed with lace; but the men have abandoned their costume, except the priests who wear very long hair, beards & moustaches. We saw two marriages a very singular ceremony, something like the Jewish rite; & a Christening. The Baby was only 3 days old – it was entirely undressed, & dipped 3 times in the font – but in warm water fortunately. The We then went back to the house where we had coffee, & then a dance, in a very small room paved with slippery dutch tiles. We set off after dark on our return, but the moonlight was brilliant & streamed in floods over the rocks & mountains. On the way our escort dénichéd[?] a band of robbers, ab^t 7 or 8, who were hiding under the dry arch of a bridge, & compelled them to stand forth in the road – they would undoubtedly have attacked us had we been alone. on [sic] Thursday 30^th March Sir W^m Parker ¹⁵ offered us the Bulldog to take us to Cività Vecchia – provided we c^d start in 3 days time, on Sunday 2^nd at 2 in the afternoon – short notice certainly. The Admiral was very kind however in lending her at all – & could not grant a farther delay, as all the Steamers were wanted with the Fleet – L^d M^t E. thought we ought not to reject such an offer – as possibly no opportunity of any kind might present itself for a very long time – & the country was supposed to be growing more disturbed – (which however is not the case –) His chief reason however was the hope of cutting short the unfortunate business of which Horatia wrote a long account to Amandier ¹⁶ – Porcelli had proposed, Ld Mt E. had refused his consent, & was in hopes that change of scene & society w^d divert her ¹⁷ thoughts from him – During those last 3 days several letters passed between him & me, & on Saturday ev^g L^d M^t E. consented to see him & had a long interview with him, during which he so far relented as to give hopes that he would not withold [sic] his consent in a year’s time, provided they continued in the same mind, & he had something less precarious to live upon. Porcelli looked very unhappy, but agreed to this arrangem^t. They took leave of each other in my presence with this understanding, at ten in the ev^g. Judge then of our dismay when early in the morn^g, she was no where to be found! Horatia & I wished her goodnight at ¼ past 2, as we had all been sat up late packing up – She was then in her nightcap all ready for bed – We can none of us comprehend the affair now – All we feel persuaded of is that it was not premeditated – but fancy he must have gone on the terrace; & seeing the light of the lamp thro’ her window been tempted to take a last farewell – However it is a bad business altogether – L^d M^t E. cannot bear to hear the subject mentioned – I do think it made him ill again – for he has never been well since his arrival here & how we were able to pack up & get off from Palermo, actually at the hour fixed buy by the Admiral, in the midst of all this confusion & worry, I can hardly now imagine. It was very melancholy, steaming away, & leaving her without even a maid, on a foreign shore, so far from her own friends & relations – but from what I have since heard she seems perfectly happy. –

We have got a very comfortable house with a charming garden, close to the Palazzo Ceva; only just above it on the other side of the road – I believe it used to be called Villa Nicolis. We have been seeing what we can in the short time – of course all the Holy week was taken up with ceremonies – We saw Pio IX ¹⁸ bless & distribute the palms on Palm Sunday – wash the feet & give the benediction from S^t Peter’s. This was a very fine sight. – He spoke so loud & distinctly, & looked so majestic when he rose up & extended his arms. L^d M^t E. contrived to see this from his carriage. Today there is a Consistory to be held on grave matters. One of the Roman volunteers has been taken & hung by the Austrians – This has produced a great discontent – & yesterday a deputation waited on the Pope, requesting him to declare war on Austria – w^h matter is to be discussed I believe today. There is great scarcity of money here as elsewhere – & one has to take dirty bank notes for 20 Scudi. Jane & C^{o 19} live very near us – Piazza di Venezia, Palazetto Torlonia – She has been tolerably flourishing & Lucy ²⁰ rather better – Little Spencer ²¹ had a bad fall in the Villa Borghese of 10 feet, thro’ a balustrade, & cut his head badly – but is doing pretty well now. – M^r Petre we see, & M^r Hay – almost everyone else is gone. Val & Charlie ²² get on pretty well I think with Graulich – he is very good tempered & goodnatured – Val has drawing lessons at Jane’s with Theresa Nicholl ²³ – he has a great turn & learnt at Palermo too – We are going today to the Catacombe di San Lorenzo, to see an “ Extrazione di Corpi Santi ²⁴” – with a Canonico who is at the head of all the relics – the martyrs’ tombs are known by the palm, or the ampolla di Sangue. ²⁵ – I wish I had had time & means to collect curious plants for you at Palermo – but both were wanting – I have some seeds however from the botanic garden – but they may be nothing rare.

I am sorry to say Baby cannot speak yet – but she is very happy in the garden, & as fat & round as a ball – Charlie is flourishing too – Horatia d^o – Milord better. Give my tender love to Constance & Chicks ²⁶ – We were so sorry to hear how sick you all have been – I hope now the Spring has begun, you will all improve at last – Best love to Amandier & to the Moores ²⁷ – The lilacs were in flower at Palermo the 1^st April –

Ever dear Henry y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline

When you write to Aunt Matilda ²⁸ please say I rec^d her nice long letter.