TALBOT8133

Sunday
London 24 June

My Dear Constance

If any letters come for me marked to be forwarded please to forward them to the Poste Restante, Paris –

If I can get ready I propose to go to Dover tomorrow. Uncle W^{m 1} means to set off to the Pyrenees the 3^d July & perhaps pick me up at Paris where I stay a week or 10 days – But he is very uncertain of going because Sir R. Sheffield ² is very ill and they do not like to leave England unless there is an improvement – W^m has engaged the courier I recommended though I never saw him. Jane’s ³ courier named Volmer; She sent me his wrong address, by which means I failed to engage him, my letter being returned with "not known" written on it.

Would you like to have some news of Emily Murray? ⁴ She has established herself at Lucca Baths where she is very happy, botanising on Pratofiorito, an old botanical favourite place of mine –

The fire at Brickworth was most destructive fortunately M^rs S was absent – All Johns letters books memorials &c were burnt, among other things, a most valuable gold watch of the late L^d Ilchesters w^ch was left to M^rs S’s son & intended to be a heirloom ⁵

Caroline got a very good place at the Review, ⁶ just over the Queen (who was in her carriage) She says when all the Volunteers cheered at once the effect was astounding – The prince of Wales looked well on horseback. At one time Carolines curiosity was excited because the Queen kept earnestly giving directions not looking at the Volunteers but the other way, and several officers rode up to speak to the Queen as if trying to understand her wishes – At length Caroline made out what was the matter. The Queen who sees everything, perceived the Moorish ambassadors struggling through the mob The Police made an effort and effected a passage through which the Moors crept and sat down on the grass in a comfortable place. Caroline showed me a portrait of the Princess Clotilde who is plain but très spirituelle and told me an anecdote of her. Some one was saying to her it was a pity King Victor Emmanuel should part with Savoy – the cradle of his family. She replied "Ayant vendu sa fille, pourquoi ne vendrait il pas son berçeau?" – in the family.

L^d M^t E ⁷ is only coming to Town to consult D^r Bence Jones ⁸ for a few days – He is coming to Portsmouth in his Steam yacht accompanied by a sailing yacht lest the engines of the steamer sh^d be disabled.

Adieu

Your aff^te
Henry