particularized there, it would appear transcribing, to write upon the same subjects.  I know you will hate me for this declaration; I remember how ill I used to take it when any body served me so that was travelling.  Well, I will tell you something, if you will love me:  You have seen prints of the ruins of the temple of Minerva Medica; you shall only hear its situation, and then figure what a villa might be laid out there.  ’Tis in the middle of a garden:  at a little distance are two subterraneous grottos, which were the burial-places of the liberti of Augustus.  There are all the niches and covers of the urns and the inscriptions remaining; and in one, very considerable remains of an ancient stucco Ceiling with paintings in grotesque.  Some of the walks would terminate upon the Castellum Aquae Martioe, St. John Lateran, and St. Maria Maggiore, besides other churches; the walls of the garden would be two aqueducts. and the entrance through one of the old gates of Rome.  This glorious spot is neglected, and only serves for a small vineyard and kitchen-garden.

I am very glad that I see Rome while it yet exists:  before a great number of years are elapsed, I question whether it will be worth seeing.  Between the ignorance and poverty of the present Romans, every thing is neglected and falling to decay; the villas are entirely out of repair, and the palaces so ill kept, that half the pictures are spoiled by damp.  At the villa Ludovisi is a large oracular head of red marble, colossal, and with vast foramina for the eyes and mouth:  the man that showed the palace said it was un ritratto della famiglia?  The Cardinal Corsini has so thoroughly pushed on the misery of Rome by impoverishing it, that there is no money but paper to be seen.  He is reckoned to have amassed three millions of crowns.  You may judge of’ the affluence the nobility live in, when I assure you, that what the chief princes allow for their own eating is a testoon a day; eighteen pence:  there are some extend their expense to five pauls, or half a crown:  Cardinal Albani is called extravagant for laying out ten pauls for his dinner and supper.  You may imagine they never have any entertainments:  so far from it, they never have any company.  The princesses and duchesses particularly lead the dismallest of lives.  Being the posterity of popes, though of worse families than the ancient nobility, they expect greater respect than my ladies the countesses and marquises will pay them; consequently they consort not, but mope in a vast palace with two mniserable tapers, and two or three monsignori, whom they are forced to court and humour, that they may not be entirely deserted.  Sundays they do issue forth in a most unwieldy coach to the Corso.

In short ’child, after sunset one passes one’s time here very ill; and if I did not wish for you in the mornings, it would be no compliment to tell you that I do in the evening.  Lord! how many English I could change for you, and yet buy you wondrous cheap!  And, then French and Germans I could fling into the bargain by dozens.  Nations swarm here.  You will have a great fat French cardinal garnished with thirty abb`es roll into the area of St. Peter’s, gape, turn short, and talk of the chapel of Versailles.  I heard one of them say t’other day, he had been at the Capitale.  One asked of course how he liked it-.Oh! il y a assez de belles choses.