TALBOT771

Normanton ¹
July 20^th 1817.

My Dear Mamma,

I am very sorry to see by the papers that Madame de Staël ² is dead. You surprize me by talking of Paris. I don't know what is most to your taste there - however remember to go & see le Jardin des Plantes, ³ & tell me how it flourishes - Any news will be acceptable. What did William ⁴ say in his last Epistle? L^d Chesterfield ⁵ says nothing is so ill-bred as having one's coat buttoned.

Turn Over

Pray ask Horatia ⁶ whether she ever received my letter. Let me hear your plans. I can distinguish with the glass the bars of a certain five-barred gate a long way off - I went to it the other day, & found it to be about seven miles off in a straight line, which is very far to discern so small an object. It is near Barleythorpe ⁷ which perhaps M^r Feilding ⁸ knows - You want to know what there is in my garden: Imprimis - some immense roman nettles which sting everybody - 2^do some gigantic coriander & stately mallows. verdant millet - pretty antirrhinum - shewy scorzonera - curious briza, quizzical Claytonia - humble Arctotis -

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

Verba quidem, potius, [illegible deletion] quam mihi charta deest - ⁹

The L^y Elis^th Feilding
31 Sackville S^t
London
STAMFORD ¹⁰