TALBOT832

Brighton
16^th Nov^r

My Dear Henry

What has suddenly stagnated your pen? The Druids ¹ I suppose.

Before you have once directed to Rock Lodge I must tell you not to do so, for we have changed our habitation to the Marine Parade & mean to stay here another Month on Horatia’s ² account.

I have neither heard or seen any thing of D^r Hooker, ³ I have had thoughts of writing him a note, but it has gone no further –

Happening accidentally to open a volume of Humboldt ⁴ I stumbled on the following passage which put me in mind of you & of what your feelings would be en pareil cas, “Rien ne sauroit exprimer l’émotion qu’éprouve un Naturaliste lorsqu’il touche pour la premiere fois un sol qui n’est pas Européen. l’Attention est fixée sur un si grand nombre d’objets qu’on a de la peine à se rendre compte des impressions qu’on que l’on reçoit.” ⁵

M^r Bonney’s ⁶ prediction was that you would like Cambridge ⁷ better on your return to it this time, be more comfortable & find your Society more sought after in consequence of your honours & glories. Do you find it so?

I am reading Playfair’s Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth – ⁸ the style is to me remarkably agreeable & the calmness with which he refutes Kirwan. ⁹ You know I hate mineralogy & would not admit more of it than cannot [sic] be helped in Geology which is as interesting as the other is dull to me. God bless you & give me a good account of the Druids, which is more than I ever saw or heard of before.

I am likewise reading Aikin’s Memoirs of Queen Elizabeth ¹⁰ which is extremely amusing. I find in it that Trinity College was built with the Money produced by the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry 8^th – Car & Hor¹¹ are in despair at not going to Melbury ¹² – Adio Caro! ¹³

Henry Fox Talbot Esq^r
Trinity College
Cambridge