TALBOT866

Paris –
6 Feb March

Answer me about the day of y^r being here

My dear Henry

Your letter came just as we were moving to another house, which is one reason why I have not sooner answered it – & another is that after puzzling my head to little purpose, I am obliged to refer you for a solution of your difficulty to the different commentators on Shakespeare, you can easily get to look at them at Camb ¹: the edition I have with me has neither note or comment – In “Johnson & Stevens’s”[sic], ² or in “Reid’s”[sic]^<3> edition you will find all that has been said on the subject – after all the meaning may be very near the surface, & be merely, that as he implies what she requires of him to be more than the doing of man & the act of a beast without reason or conscience she with a quibble on the (implied) word, says “what beast”? – in Henry 4 Falstaff says to M^rs Quickly, “ you are a thing” “what thing S^r John” is her reply³ – I have taken this house in the R. de Clichy N^o 17 for two months but our plans after that are not fixed – We should both like very much to go Southwards & the more so for your wishing it, the reasons against our doing so are that we must be in England for your coming of age, & that I have a great dread of a long winter Journey across France – that my money will not hold out against the expense of a mere Summer excursion & that wherever I go I must remain for some time to recover the cost of the Journey When do you expect to be here? if by the end of this Month I would put off deciding till I had talked to you. If we do not go South I think of [Havre de Beau?] I have heard of a house on the hill which would suit me, with the view &ca which we admired so much – next week I am going to see it – but shall not settle anything decidedly till I hear from you – it w^d give me great pleasure, that you should pass the time you can give us [illegible deletion] agreeably & where you like

I am truly happy at the account you give me of your progress, & feel certain you would not have the confidence you describe if it was not well grounded. I think Sir C. Cole ⁴ will be returned for Glamorgan ⁵ – as to the Spanish insurrection ⁶ the only thing which appears to me certain is that it decided the question as to South America – it is impossible, that with so much to do at home, the Spanish gov^t can send Troops or take effectual measures in the education of that distant country – for some time I thought it was merely the refusal of some regiments to embark but the time it has lasted gives the affair a more serious appearance – It is high time that detestable government sh^d be over thrown – I have left my self no room for any observation on the state of affairs here – things cannot go on as they are but what will happen nobody can prophecy – The murder of the D. de B. ⁷ has altered the whole appearance – I hear it from the best authority one of the examining judges that up to this time no single thing has come out to make it appear that Louvel ⁸ was connected with any creature. Every day information is forwarded which if true would make it seem that many persons were aware of the his intention – but when fairly examined it has always turned out false: The French all talk of a crise being at hand – which means that the Government are about to attempt some alteration by force of the Charter if they do there will be a crise indeed for a revolt would inevitably follow.

God bless you

Henry Talbot Esq^r
Trin. Coll.
Cambridge