TALBOT814

Burley. ¹
29. August

My dear Henry

You have been moving about so that I have not known how to direct to you & moreover as your mother ² was frequently writing my³ letters I thought could be more easily dispensed with - I have been some time meditating to despatch you an epistle, & [illegible deletion] a conversation with M^r Bonney ⁴ about you has roused my indolence as you see - it was most gratifying to hear all he said about you, & all he repeated as being the opinion of Cambridge men of his acquaintance. I told him that you had felt it really necessary to be idle after the exertion of standing your examination - he thought so also [illegible deletion] - but only hoped it would not last too long, & that as the Lecturers w^d be at Camb ⁵: by the 29 Sep^r he hoped you would return there by the 1^st or 2^d Oct^r - he seems to have your interest really at heart, & I think it very unlucky that you could not call on him in your way North - I hardly know what to advise about your trying again for the Pitt scholarship, what do you feel about it yourself what I am really anxious about is that having placed yourself so high in this first examination you should retain the same station at the next, & to do this I am sensible you must [illegible] hard - what Mr Bonney seems to think indispens is that you should employ the next long vacation with some Tutor in the country or abroad with 2 or 3 companions as you had some idea of doing this - I am very sorry there is not any chance of my seeing you again before you go to Camb: but I shall certainly go there to see you in my way to Town. Your mother you will I suppose either meet at Bowood ⁶ or Town - but pray write to us & tell us your schemes - direct my letters to Sackville S^{t 7} - I go to Sprotborough ⁸ in a few days & then to Lowther & Scotland - I will write to you again whenever I know where to direct - We have had a Cricket match & got very much beaten by the Oakham people - ⁹

L^d Winchilsea has often enquired after you - & I was quite ashamed to hear him say that he had not seen you in Town by which I knew he was aware you had not called on him - he is a person who has always been so very kind to you that you ought out of mere civility if for nothing else to be attentive to him - my old dictum is a very good one & I wish you would always remember it. "La politesse coute peu & rend beaucoup-" ¹⁰ You are in so many respects exactly what my fondest hopes could wish - that I cannot bear to be teazing you about the very few in which you hardly meet my ideas of what you should be but I will not let this letter go without one bit of advice - to watch yourself carefully on the score of selfindulgence - you are a little too apt I think to consider too much how any proposal will affect yourself & not enough how other people may be affected by your complying with it - in this world one must give as well as take, & if you like (as every one must) that others should sometimes derange themselves to accomodate you, you must pay the price of occasionally denying yourself to accomodate them - I have said quite enough I am sure to turn your thoughts to the subject & your own good sense will do the rest - God bless you

Y^r aff^te Friend
C.F.