TALBOT781

I dined at Burley ¹ on Saturday, & stayed there all Sunday. We have settled that I am to go to Cambridge next Monday. Tell Horatia ² that I have received her letter, & shall soon dispose myself to answer it. William ³ has sent me a great parcel of plants from Caucasus, Georgia, Circassia, the Crimea, Sarepta ⁴ &c. &c. of which I am to take some & forward the rest to the Botanical Professor at Oxford. I received les jarretiéres que vous m'avez envoyé ⁵ - & shall keep them till wanted. Miss Feilding ⁶ is not at all well at present: she did not make her appearance all Sunday. Mr Bonney ⁷ & I went to see Crowland Abbey ⁸ the other day. Did you ever see it?

Turn Over

It is a long way, but my poney [sic] carried me extremely well. I thought it a beautiful structure: but it is sadly ruinous, & looks as if it w^d tumble down every minute. We went up to the top, & I pulled out my pocket telescope & looked at the view. It is a very extensive one indeed, but we had not a very clear day for it. You see into Norfolk very near Lynn: ⁹ & over a considerable part of Cambridgeshire - in which Thorney Abbey ¹⁰ is very conspicuous, & I think Ely ¹¹ might be seen. Peterborough Cathedral ¹² is very distinctly seen - but the most extensive part of the prospect lies [illegible deletion] across the deal level lands of Lincolnshire towards Coningsby, ¹³ M^r Bonney's other living; - You see in this direction until the objects are quite lost in the distance. Crowland Bridge ¹⁴ is very curious - It is triple, that is, three roads diverge from the center [sic] of it. - There is on it a very old statue of a very old Saxon King - sine ¹⁵ nose, so may be anything or anybody. The following charade is for fear you should be dull. You will guess directly, & send me word how you like it.

My first's a biped without feathers;
My next's a feathered biped:
This wears a waistcoat in all weathers
Now black, now white, now striped -

The other bounteous Nature has supplied
With coat of feathers fitted to his back:
With oary feet he stems the crystal tide,
And ever & anon, he crieth, Quack!

My whole's the root whose hideous splitting, tears
The stubborn rind of Hecate's ¹⁶ leathern ears - ¹⁷

I am sorry not to see you - for I should like to hear your account of France - As to a Journal, you know I kept one.

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

Normanton 13 Oct. 1817.

The Lady Elisabeth Feilding
31 Sackville S^t
London
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