TALBOT9858

My dear Henry

I am very much gratified by your opinion of my Dream.¹ You could never have seen it in its original edition, for I scarcely showed it to more than Sir Charles Lemon,² of whom I asked if I might alter the metre in which Fame speaks, without criticism, & he said, certainly, & that his speech might be in any metre I liked. I did not even show it to Harriot.³ I think they were abroad that year, & after my Mother's⁴ death intellectual interests seemed to fail at Moreton, so I thought no more about it until lately. I do not know whether I mentioned, that as your Caroline⁵ liked the verses extremely, I wished her to send a copy to Miss Macdonald,⁶ to reach the Queen if so it could be, but she seemed in a tremor about doing this, so I have given it up, as I would not wish to plague her. As they have been praised by good judges, I really think the Queen might have approved, which would have been an honour.

Did you see (it was in the Court Journal) a most interesting account of a Division in the Northern Army at the Autumn Man œuvres, saluting the Memorial to the Iron Duke as they passed through Strathfieldsay Park,⁷ as they would have saluted in form a living Royalty? It was Sir C. Staveley & L^d M. Ker's Divisions,⁸ & was a most touching sight?

Thank you over & over again for the Photographs. I have not one of Lacock, excepting a very dark small one of the East front, with the windows of the rooms your sisters inhabited. This you sent me 2 years ago, & said they were locked up, & you could find no others whilst Constance⁹ was abroad. I am delighted with all you sent, & have now only to wish that I could have a view of the North Front, if you have one; or of the interior either of the Drawing rooms, (I forget whether they were called Drawing rooms, or Saloon, with a Curtain dividing them,) where I have passed so many happy hours, & which were so pretty in themselves: - or the Hall. It is a shame to ask for more after your generous present, but I have a passion for interiors - I am particularly pleased with the Nun's Boiler¹⁰ because I am ashamed to say I had forgotten it, until reminded of it by a very nice account of it, & Lacock, & Ela C^ss of Salisbury, with also a description of the Hall & its effigies, & the pictures in the Gallery (with the man's legendary leap,) that I found in Timbs' "Ancestral Stories",¹¹ which I recommended to Harriot, & of which particulars I had forgotten a great deal. There is also a charming account of Oakham Castle in Rutlandshire, which I had never heard of be[fore] with its Horseshoe Hall, & traditions, & I am glad to see that poor dear Uncle W^m had hung up one Horseshoe.¹²

Perhaps you can help me by advice in the Photograph way. I have some pretty Algerian Rats, (I have a passion for Rats!) brought to England, at least their ancestors were, by Baron de Hugel, the great French Naturalist who died last year.¹³ They are beautifully marked, & I tried to have them Photographed - very difficult as they are never long still, but the Man took the Rats well, but spoilt the background with parts of things shown, which spoilt all. I asked him to take them again with a perfect dark background - he said he could not, & smurched [sic] over the defects till he spoilt all, but the actual Rats. I sent the Photograph to a superior man at Torquay - he says the Rats are very well done; (I don't think all are well done,) but he could not take it off with another background. Now I should like to know if that really cannot be done - a good dark background nicely painted, & then all taken off as a photograph together. Please advise me. I cannot afford to have it all done again - they charge so much because it is so long & difficult to get the six creatures quiet at once, tho' perfectly tame. Again thanking you for your kind presents,

I am y^rs aff^ly
Louisa C Frampton

Lulworth Villa
Babbicombe
Torquay - Oct 2

[envelope:]
Henry Fox Talbot Esre
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts