TALBOT740

Burley ¹
Twelfth Day, 1817.

My Dear Mamma,

We are the only people left here besides L^d Winchilsea ² who returned yesterday afternoon, Miss Finch, ³ George, ⁴ & Georgiana - We dined Saturday at Cottesmore ⁵ - I spent Friday at M^r Bonney's ⁶ and like him very much - He seems to me to be a very good classic & mathematician - I am very much improved in the noble & scientific game of billiards - We have all done breakfast long ago but George has not yet made his appearance.

The experiments made at the Surrey Institution ⁷ with the blowpipe, have excited my curiosity - Pray can I be present at them on my return to Town? The weather is very remarkably changeable, I scarcely ever observed it more so - M^r Bonney is something of an Astronomer, but I believe not very much. Indeed Mathematics are so intimately connected with Astronomy, that he must know something of it - Yesternight was fine, but the Moon was too near the full to be able to view the stars well; - It was raining just now, but at present the Sun shines.

for Car. & Hor. ⁸

Cùm Luna est plena, illa
when the Moon is full, she

profundit tantùm lucis, ut
pours forth so much of light, that

non possis videre stellas-
you are unable to see the stars -

I am Y^r Aff^te Son
W. H. F. Talbot