TALBOT8469

Mount Edgcumbe,¹
Nov^r 11^th 1861

My dear Henry

I ought to have written to you before – but I have really been very busy – besides having so many answers to write to friends who have very kindly written to me, & whose letters have hitherto remained unanswered. I should like very much to shew you some of them & hope to do so, some day – Several of them are exceedingly soothing to my feelings – shewing how much & how universally he was appreciated & regretted.² Charlotte Traherne’s ³ letter pleased me particularly – & the Queen’s ⁴ is a very remarkable one in every way.

Cotehele⁵ has not been left to me – but, knowing my extreme fondness for the place, & having asked me more than once if I should like to live there, he most kindly provided means for altering, improving, & fitting up the wing of the house which looks into the little Terrace garden, & on into the wood, down towards the river.

This part of the house, has been uninhabited for years, centuries I might almost say – except a small portion of it which was tenanted by the farmer who held the barton-⁶ & latterly only by the hind who represented the farmer.⁷

The deserted part state of this wing was visible in the decay of the ornamented roof, & the growth of the ivy which had penetrated thro’ the wall, & was hanging in festoons about the fireplace. Three or four years ago some of this ivy was removed, for fear of its’ [sic] pulling down the old granite chimney outside – & several pieces as thick as a man’s arm were taken out by removing some of the stones. It continues to flourish nevertheless, though without any apparent root. The few rooms that were inhabited by the farming man & his wife were kept in such a dirty & wretched state, that they their presence could no longer be tolerated – A small cottage was built for them in the orchard – & now the whole is at last in hand. Val ⁸ has been very busy making a plan, so as to make the most comfortable & convenient residence we can, without spoiling the character of the old place – which I could not endure to do – He is very clever at every thing of this sort, & can draw a plan as well as any professional builder – & he is so good & anxious to do whatever I wish. Of course this will be a matter of some time & difficulty – but also of great interest.

It would not do however to live entirely at Cotehele – & so I am going to try & take a house in London for which Mr Boger ⁹ considers my means will be quite sufficient. I must do this for Ernestine’s ¹⁰ sake; & it will be a very good thing for Charlie ¹¹ to have a home when he is in London, instead of hiring expensive lodgings. At present I am staying on here – & as soon as Cotehele is begun, I must go & look after the workmen which I can do by living in the other part of the house which you are acquainted with, & which remains unaltered.

Charlie is gone abroad with L^d Hinchinbrooke ¹² for a little tour.

Ernestine is quite well & sends you her best love – as well as to all at Millburn Tower. ¹³

Please thank Amandier ¹⁴ for her last long letter – & tell her how very sorry I was to hear such a poor account of her health – I fear she will be condemned to the house all the winter like Uncle William. ¹⁵

She did tell me about the christening, & I am glad to hear the Babe ¹⁶ is to be called after you.

Pray write to me again soon, & tell Amandier I know I have been a long time writing to her but I know she will forgive me – Love to all –

Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline

Among the old letters here we have found a correspondence between Piers Edgcumbe ¹⁷ & the Prime Minister of Don Antonio King of Portugal- ¹⁸ one letter from the King himself. They were carefully put by, with a translation to each letter, ab^t the middle of last century – The Portuguese court were then residing at Tours, & one of the Minister’s letters is written from Plimouth [sic] He mentions in it having visited Sir Piers Exicon, of Mount Exicon–¹⁹ & the chief object of the correspondence is to empower Piers to make war upon the King of Spain with 10 Ships. About the year 1567-²⁰ There is also a letter from Stephen Durnford, to the then K. of Portugal, dated 1399.²¹