TALBOT779

I am very glad to hear that you have a plant for me from Fontainbleau. Anything from thence is likely to be curious, for it is a famous field for botany. Madame de Genlis ¹ in one of her stories makes a botanist keep a whole party waiting for him, who are just setting off for Paris from Languedoc, because he must cannot leave the country without collecting specimens of a plant which is not to be found in the neighbourhood of Paris, pas même à Fontainbleau. ² I thought M. Thouin had the whole management of the Jardin des Plantes. ³ - The weather is remarkably fine for harvest - fortunately. I am trying to make a burning mirror to melt lead &c. I don't know how I shall succeed. I have not heard anything of or from William. I have some Millet growing in my Garden: It is not so pretty as I expected. I have been at several cricket matches at Burley: ⁴ they have one tomorrow. Partridge shooting has not yet commenced here.

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

Normanton 7^th Septemb. 1817.

A great many of the Cape Seeds are come up in Trevelyan's ⁵ Garden.

The Lady Elis^th Feilding
31 Sackville S^t
London
Feilding 1/4 ⁶