TALBOT6251

Lacock
July 11/49

My Dear Hor^a

We have shelves vacant that would hold 200 folios and quartos, and 100 octavos, in the Stone gallery – More might easily be constructed. I don’t think it would be a good plan for you to remove a portion only of the books from London.

I am surprised at the price you obtained for your wine, for I thought it had been almost passé.

We had D^r Watson ¹ here yesterday from Bath to see us alL and we drove him back to Corsham ² Station in the Evening in an open carriage, not returning home till ten o’clock, very pleasant, but a feat which has rather tired C. and M^{lle 3} who is hardly strong enough to encounter the fresh evening breeze – D^r Watson has advised a removal to Tunbridge Wells for three months. We have now been at home two Entire years, with a trifling exception. I am putting plants into my new conservatory – Would you like to visit Henderson’s ⁴ in Pine Apple Place and choose half a dozen of your own favourites to be added to the collection? In that case you should select the identical specimens you wish for, which should be vigorous young plants, and desire them to be sent here per railway to Chipp^m station with advice per post at the same time. They must not require stove heat, and they may be twiners or not.

Your aff^t
Henry

The Times ⁵ gives an account of the prodigious success of Mad^me Sontag, ⁶ while the National ⁷ received this morning says that “la nouvelle” ⁸ of her being likely to reappear on the London stage is “tout à fait controuvée”. ⁹ I think the National had better change his “own correspondent” at London. What will be the end of the Roman affair? Some say that Pius IX ¹⁰ will abdicate, having first excommunicated the French, but that evidently merits confirmation. If any body can make out the series of events which embellish the Hungarian war, ¹¹ I envy them their penetration –