TALBOT751

Normanton, ¹
Feb^ry 16^th 1817.

My Dear Mamma,

I thank you for you long letter. I find by the Papers that an Aurora Borealis of uncommon splendour was seen at Derby, & at Paris on the night of Saturday, which with us was very cloudy, yet whenever there was a break in the clouds, the sky appeared as if enlightened by a full moon, which was universally noticed in the neighbourhood. The papers also affirm that the same phænomenon was observed more faintly on Sunday night - which I deny, inasmuch as the light was in the West, & therefore c^d not be occasioned by an Aurora Borealis -

What an extraordinary thing the sudden death of Lord Rothes ² was - Pray assist Caroline ³ in retaining all her knowledge. The squib about L^d Arden ⁴ is very safe: & I will send it, if you want it - I think Normanton is very pleasant, & am as comfortable as can be - M^r Bonney's ⁵ family consists of his sister & his cousin. I like Miss Bonney extremely, but her cousin is nearly as repulsive as Miss Elborough ⁶ in her manners - The angular velocity of a planet perhaps means the different angles it [illustration] makes in its progress with two fixed objects - Thus a planet at C makes with the points A and B the angle ACB - but when it comes to D, the angle is changed to ADB - I can think of no other explanation - The weather is the finest ever known, for the season -. We had some Snow, but it melted next Day. M^r Bonney has neither Barometer nor Thermometer, so I shall not use your Meteorological Tables this year - I could plant Ixia's in Sir G. Heathcote's ⁷ Greenhouse. I can see from my window the steeple of Cold Overt[on]⁸ which is in Leicestershire - The Sheriff for Rutlandshire is M^r Baines of Morcott, who is said to be the worst sheriff that was ever appointed for any County⁹ - I am rejoiced to hear of the parcel, for I expect to see some beautiful plates - M^r Bonney's brother¹⁰ who has the living of Kingscliffe, nine miles from hence, dined here Friday - I took a great liking to him immediately. He is a great Antiquarian. Tell M^r F. ¹¹ that my little spy-glass shews Venus's disc, which proves it to be a very good one of its size - Did you communicate to Richard my one page about mud-boots? I saw Vindemiatrix and Corona Borealis!!!!^<12>

I see Burley ¹² from my window,

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

The Lady E. Feilding
31 Sackville S^t
London