TALBOT6936

Osborne
Friday March 17^th 1854

My dear Henry

It is an age since I have heard from Greta Bank, ¹ & indeed since I wrote to you - though I sent a letter to Amandier ² not very long ago. - I think I told her that my Waiting, which should have taken place on the 14^th of Feb^y, was put off on account of Lord M^t E's ³ illness - He had a very severe attack of Rheumatism, which reduced him extremely; & as I was prevented going for some days, it was settled that I should exchange with Lady Ely, & begin on the 14^th ins^t. I accordingly left Torquay on Monday last, sleeping at Reading - & got here the next day. At Southampton I fell in with L^d Clarendon, ⁴ M^r Bunsen & Gen^l Count Groeben, ⁵ on their way to Osborne. ⁶ The latter was Bearer of a letter from the K. of Prussia ⁷ to the Queen; ⁸ which letter, it has since oozed out, is very stupid, saying very little to the purpose. During the hour's trajet in the Fairy, I talked nearly all the time to Bunsen - who spoke out very decidedly in the right sense. They say he is at his wit's end with the vacillations & hesitations of his Sovereign. He evidently thinks the Emperor is a little cracked, & seems convinced he will not give in.⁹

Poor L^d C. deplored the necessity which obliged him to escort C^t Gröben to Osborne - & w^d not accept my congratulations upon his momentary escape from official duties, & the whiffs of sea air he was enjoying. He said I did not know what an additional amount of labour the one day's respite w^d entail upon him - & that his usual daily work was on the average 15 hours a day! No wonder his face is absolutely colourless - though he is always agreeable & in good spirits.

I just missed seeing the fleet¹⁰ by two days - But Val was very lucky. He went down to Portsmouth & staid with Captⁿ Key ¹¹ in his ship the Amphion & saw the departure of the whole Fleet to perfection. It must have been a grand sight! My loss was partly made up for yesterday. The Queen went out in the Fairy, as early as ten o'clock, (gran mi! I was quite ready -) & steamed to Spithead. It rained & blew hard in the early part of the morning but cleared off afterw^ds & when we reached Spithead the Sun came out.

The Cæsar 91, Prince Regent 90, Blenheim 70, & Cruiser Brig were lying there, & the Neptune 120, Ad^l Corry, & our old Friend the Bulldog, were quite ready to start. They fired a salute as the Queen approached, manned the rigging & gave three cheers - then instantly let fall the huge sails & began moving majestically through the blue water. In another moment all the sails, with the exception of two were set - & on a signal from the Fairy, the Sternsails also were hoisted. It is impossible to imagine a more glorious sight - or one which produces more mingled feelings of emotion; or can it ever be possible to see a large Man of War under sail, in such a complete & perfect manner - Because the Fairy kept close alongside of her for a considerable way out, regulating her speed exactly according to the Neptune's. The Band of the Neptune played God save the Queen, Hearts of Oak, Auld lang syne, The Girls we'eve [sic] left behind us, & all the most appropriate airs - The crew again manned the Rigging & cheered, & I could distinctly see Admiral Corry ¹² with his white hair, waving his cocked hat - The Fairy then made a signal of Farewell & bore away back tow^ds Spithead, & the Neptune & Bulldog "sped gloriously on" till they appeared like two specks on the horizon.

I send you a yellow Jessamine growing on the wall here - I am not sure if it is quite the same as our's [sic] - it looks larger & brighter, & is named Jasminum pubigerman[?] - Also another very pretty yellow thing - Forsythia viridissima - You ought to go & see Pince's & Veitch's ¹³ Gardens just now. I intend going on my way home; & I hear that since my departure, Flora, Charlie, Johnny & Kate Nicholl ¹⁴ with some others have made an excursion to Exeter, solely to see Pince's display of Camellia's; w^h is described as wonderfully beautiful. - We go to London today - & Jane ¹⁵ has kindly offered me a pied a'terre ¹⁶ in her house in Belgrave Sq^re where Carry de Bonneval & Louisa ¹⁷ are also housed. Shall I see you there? Pray let me hear soon what are your movements. My waiting in a fortnight - & two or three days over for the Drawingroom. This is an unconscionably long letter - but I have not yet done; as I promised to reproach you from Aunt Mary, ¹⁸ for not having answered a particularly long letter (for her,) which she wrote you some time ago - to w^h you only replied a few lines with the promise of a future letter - & she still expecting the said letter. Aunt Mary paid us such a nice visit of a week & was so very dear & charming! I really must end - Pray communicate to Constance & A ¹⁹ - what may interest them as I so seldom write.

Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline

[envelope:]
Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
Greta Bank
Keswick
Cumberland
[flap dry embossed 'Osborne']