TALBOT686

Cranbourne Lodge ¹
March 23^d

My dear Henry

It is a long time since you desired me to give you an account of your Peoples & I have often intended to do so, but my time is very much taken up by writing to Persons I don’t know, or care about, ever since Pss C^s Marriage ² has been declared all discriptions of Men & Women have applied for Places in her Establishment, heaps of petitions from others in distress, & quantities of letters of congratulation so that we are tired out of with writing answers, & have no time for our own Friends – I have not heard from your Mama ³ for ten days, but Louisa ⁴ says she is well – Lady Mary ⁵ & the family from Penrice ⁶ have been at Oxford for a week & are to arrive at their Palace of Dirt this day – N^o 11 Berkeley Sq^{re 7} where you saw them last year – I heard of them today from W^m Strangways ⁸ who wrote to his Mother, ⁹ poor William’s inclination does not go to the Law, & yet there does not seem any other Profession for him, & something he must do to enable him to live – he is not in spirits nor quite well – Giles ¹⁰ is very happy with his Reg^t at a village in France near Bolougne [sic], & John ¹¹ at Westminster. L^d & L^y Lansdowne ¹² intend to go abroad in June – Charlotte & M^r Lemon & their two Children are well at Deans Leaze ¹³ they also talk of going abroad, but I hope it will end in talk – your uncle Harry & L^y I ¹⁴ – are still at Melbury ¹⁵ & their two little dears – Theresa ¹⁶ is not well which keeps me unhappy for I have not loved any child so much since your days ¹⁷ – I then determined never to love another as well, I felt so much at parting from you, & I kept my resolution – till that Winter when I was snow’d up with her unfortunately – Lady Susan ¹⁸ is now gone back to Stinsford ¹⁹ having passed the Winter at Melbury – her spirits are very low at returning to her solitary Home – Miss Whitwich is with her at present – M^r & M^rs Strangways, ²⁰ Susan & Fanny are at Bath – on their way to Clifton, ²¹ poor Fanny broke a blood vessel some weeks ago & is ordered to Clifton, Harry Strangways ²² is to be ordained on Sunday next, & will then join them as both M^r & M^rs S– are very poorly – Tom Strangways ²³ is at Woolwich & hopes to get leave of absence to go to them soon – The Framptons ²⁴ are still at Weymouth on account of poor James, who is sometimes better but it seldom lasts – his case is a very bad one I fear – George Strangways ²⁵ is to go to Sandhurts [sic] College this Spring as the Army is to be his profession, Henry Murray ²⁶ has left that & has got a Com^o in the Guards & now on duty in London – This is all I can recollect respecting your Relations – & now I suppose you will expect some account of Royalty but I have little to tell, I have not seen Prince Leopold ²⁷ as I did not attend P–ss C– to Brighton, but if all I hear of him is true he is a Peerless Prince – His Picture is very handsome, he is musical – & very fond of Botany, & agriculture, & of the Country, I hope he may inspire Pss C– with some of his tastes – for except music she has no resource, which is a great misfortune tho’ one of which she is not aware ²⁸ – Report says the marriage is to take place before Easter but I hope it may not, as I am not well, & neither L^y Ilchester or myself are prepared owing to its not being settled – how it is to be arranged; the Establishment is not yet appointed, but that Pss C– does not interfere in – the only request she has made is to retain me & that the P– Regent ²⁹ granted – but till I know what my situation is to be, & what will be required of me I can not judge whether I shall be able to hold it – I am however very grateful for the kindness & affec^t I have uniformly experienced from Her Royal Highness ever since I have been with her – she often enquires for you – & so does the Duke of Kent ³⁰ when he sees me – he is going to live at Brussels for three years to pay off debts – I have nothing to amuse you but as you are at so great a distance you may like to have this detail of your Relations – It is is very long since I saw you my dear Henry, I suppose when we next meet, I shall have to look up to you as I do to most of my young Friends – The two young Neaves were here today from Eton tall thin young Men –

God bless you my dear Henry from your affec^t
Tam

H^y Fox Talbot Esq^r
Rev^d M^r Barnes
Castleford
Ferrybridge
London March twenty five 1816 Auckland ³¹