TALBOT9391

Hotel de l’Europe Venice, ¹
17 July

My Dear Grove

I have just received your letter of July 11^{th 2} (not having received your previous one)- ³ I have written fully to M^r Galton ⁴ in reply to his letter of July 1^st- ⁵ I am very sorry to find by his letter that my absence from England has caused a delay which has been inconvenient to the council of the British Association, ⁶ but I trust that he has received long ere now my letter of the 9^th July, ⁷ in which I expressed to him my thanks for the great honour done to me by the Society in selecting my name for the presidency in 1869, and my regret that I cannot possibly accept it. In fact I have no idea whether I shall be in England at that time, the precarious health of members of my family ⁸ requiring a residence abroad and though I hope to visit England occasionally, yet I am liable to be unexpectedly called away & therefore cannot undertake any engagement of consequence

Yours faithfully
H. Fox Talbot