Tell Ashton I have received his letter, and will write next post but I am in a violent hurry and have no more time; so Gray finishes this delicately.

Not so delicate; nor indeed would his conscience suffer him to write to you, till he received de vos nouvelles, if he had not the tail of another person’s letter to use by way of evasion.  I sha’n’t describe, as being in the only place in the world that deserves it which may seem an odd reason-but they say as how it’s fulsome, and every body does it (and I suppose every body says the same thing); else I should tell’you a vast deal about the Coliseum, and the Conclave, and the Capitol, and these matters.  A-propos du Colis`ee, if you don’t know what it is, the Prince Borghese will be very capable of giving you some account of it, who told an Englishman that asked what it was built for:  “They say ’twas for Christians to fight with tigers in.”  We are just come from adoring a great piece of the true cross, St. Longinus’s spear, and St. Veronica’s handkerchief; all of which have been this evening exposed to view in St. Peter’s.  In the same place, and on the same occasion last night, Walpole saw a poor creature naked to the waist discipline himself with a scourge filled with iron prickles, till he made hii-nself a raw doublet, that he took for red satin torn, and showing the skin through.  I should tell you, that he fainted away three times at the sight, and I twice and a half at the repetition of it.  All this is performed by the light of a vast fiery cross, composed of hundreds of little crystal latmps, which appears through the great altar under the grand tribuna, as if hanging by itself in the air.  All the confraternities of the city resort thither in solemn procession, habited in linen frocks, girt with a cord, and their heads covered with a cowl all over, that has only two holes before to see through.  Some of these are all black, others parti-coloured and white:  and with these masqueraders that vast church is filled, who are seen thumping their breasts, and kissing the pavement with extreme devotion.  But methinks I am describing:-’tis an ill habit; but this, like every thing else will wear off We have sent you our compliments by a friend of yours, and correspondent in a corner, who seems a very agreeable man; one Mr. Williams; I am sorry he staid so little a while in Rome.  I forget Porto-Bello (187) all this while; pray let us know where it is, and whether you or Ashton had any hand in the taking of’it.  Duty to the admiral.  Adieu!  Ever yours,

T. Gray.

(187) Porto-Bello, taken from the Spaniards by Admiral Vernon, with six ships only, On the 21st Nov. 1740.  By the articles of the capitulation, the town was not to be plundered, nor the inhabitants molested in the smallest degree; and the governor and inhabitants expressed themselves in the highest terms, when speaking of the humanity and generosity with which they had been treated by the admiral and the officers of the squadron under his command.-E.