1840 April 10-13. Buxton, from Moela da Garta, a day's journey from Naples, to Edward Buxton, …
1840; Gale Group;
Autores Resumo
Memoir pp 248-53 1840 April 10-13. Buxton, from Moela da Garta, a day's journey from Naples, to Edward Buxton, about the improvement in his health since he last wrote, assuring him that he quite enjoyed his illness because of the great care taken of him, Hannah not removing her clothes for nine nights in succession while he was ill. He describes their slow journey towards Naples, broken by several days at Albano, his regret at being unable to walk about the town where they had stopped for the night because of the rain and Hannah's enthusiam for the scenery and sights. He writes that they were uncertain of their reception at Naples since they had heard that a messenger had been despatched to summon the British fleet from Malta and so he warns him not to be surprised to hear that the girls had been destroyed by British cannonfire. They were all determined to get at least a peep at Naples though they would retreat speedily if need be. He records that he had addressed his report to Cardinal Tosti and had received a handsome letter in reply promising to attend to his suggestions and that Anna had seen him outside one of the prisons the day after the letter was sent. He was looking forward to receiving letters from them all at Naples the next day since he had heard nothing from England for three weeks. He describes the country of the brigands, in particular of Gasparoni, through which they had been travelling, but says that although there were many stories of the bandits and about a third of the people there must have been involved with them in some way or another it was not easy to get authentic information. On April 13 he writes that they had arrived in Naples, that the British fleet had surveyed Naples harbour on the Sunday but then had continued to Salerno to await the outcome of the negotiations and that the Minister, Lord Palmerston's brother Temple, had told them that they might safely remain until he gave them word to leave. He remarks on the packet of letters which awaited them, the news of Catherine's and Tommy's ill health, the loss in the game-keeper's family, news from Priscilla and Catherine, a letter from Trew about the Mico Charity and telling him to stay at Naples as long as he wished provided he was in England by May 20. He complains of the various schemes hatched by Hannah to ensure that he should not travel back alone and outlines his scheme for travelling through France from Avignon as much as possible by water. He suggests that it would be better for someone more eminent than he to preside over the Exeter Hall meeting. He approves the scheme Edward and Catherine had contrived for him and Hannah to live at Brick Lane the following winter and exhorts them to use his horses as much as they wished while he was away, fearing that something he had said had made them loath to do so. (Copy.) ( pp501, 503.)
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