TALBOT6178

Margam ¹
Friday

My dear Henry

We came to this place to meet Gen^l M^cDonald and Susan, Fanny & George ² who made a tour in North Wales after they left Scotland and are now paying us visits all round, we were glad to hear you had screwed up your courage to go as far as Markeaton ³ but from the unpleasant state of the weather you could have seen very little out of doors as you only staid there one week! –

I hope you found the dear Girls ⁴ all well on your return & that it was not on account of Ela’s health you left them at Bath? –

You wish for family news so I will begin properly by telling you that Mamma ⁵ is tolerably well but unable to do more than walk and then sit on her camp stool alternately in going along the Terrace she gets very stiff if she takes more exercise than that. She enjoys having her little Grand Children with her very much & they are extremely fond of being with her as you will easily believe – Chris^{r 6} came here from Penrice ⁷ on purpose to shew the place & neighbourhood to Gen^l M^cDonald but alas there have not been two fine days since they came ten days ago (& I fear we are going to have another wet day today) so beyond the Gardens & Port there has not been any possibility of shewing it. –

Charlotte & M^r Traherne ⁸ have been at Tenby for some weeks but are now on their way home, Isabella & Emma ⁹ with all their families are quite well. Harry Franklen gone to Borneo in the Mæander the other two boys at School. –

My last letter from Lucy ¹⁰ was from the Baths of Lucca they were on the eve of removing to Florence & if Jane can spare M^r Nicholl I suppose he will come home for a short time before the winter but it is doubtful, as there are so many disturbances on the Continent he is unwilling to leave them alone. Lucy’s health is very much improved and she is really getting quite strong I hear. Jane herself is but indifferent & the youngest boy, Spencer, has not recovered his strength since he had that fall at Rome – the rest are quite well they have been enjoying themselves very much at Lucca where they tell me the pretty walks & rides are endless, the Summer has been favourable for excursions as they had ten weeks without rain & only an occasional thunder storm which cooled the air, & made it pleasant. they fully intend returning to Rome if possible for the winter & tell me L^d M^t Edgecumbe ¹¹ means to do the same. –

I hope some day I may see your travelling Green house it sounds as if it would be a most convenient kind of thing & I suppose not on a very large scale so it might suit us, mean time we must content ourselves with what are tolerably hardy in the way of plants. I know most of those you mention and think them great additions to the flower garden if they will stand the winter with a slight covering. The Tropæolum Lobbi of course will not I have sent mine to the hot house at Merthyrmawr ¹² also the Cuphea platycentra & I suppose the Hydrolea Spinosa will require heat too for the winter, it was lovely at Minterne last year in the Stove I know.

I do not know Forsythia viridissima but the Buddlea Lindleyana I saw at Bowood ¹³ three or four years ago in the Greenhouse & wondered at its name as it is so unlike the old Buddlea. – We have the anemone Japonica flourishing at Lanelay ¹⁴ since last year and a very pretty Androsace whose other name I have forgotten it looks like primula farinosa with a closer head of flowers. I have never visited any of the Nursery Gardens at Exter [sic] tho’ I have heard so much of them. –

M^r Dillwyn’s pamphlet ¹⁵ was to be procured by applying to D^r Lankester but I have forgotten the other person’s name who had any & have not got M^r Dillwyn’s note with me –

With our kind love to all
I remain your aff^cte
coz Mary