You will be surprised at another from me so soon, when I wrote to you but four days ago.  This is not with any news, but upon a private affair.  You have never said any thing to Me about the extraordinary procedure of Marquis Riccardi, of which I wrote you word.  Indeed, as his letter came just upon my father’s death, I had forgot it too; so much so, that I have lost the catalogue which he sent me.  Well, the other day I received his cargo.  Now, My dear child, I don’t write to him upon it, because, as he Sent the things without asking my leave, I am determined never to acknowledge the receipt of them because I will in no manner be liable to pay for them if they are lost:  which I think highly probable; and as I have lost the catalogue, I cannot tell whether I have received all or not.

I beg you will just say what follows to him.  That I am extremely amazed he should think of employing me to sell his goods for him, especially without asking my consent, that an English gentleman, just come from France, has brought me a box of things, of which he himself had no account; nor is there any letter or catalogue with them; that I suppose they may be the Marquis’s collection:  I have lost the catalogue, and consequently cannot tell whether I have received all or not, nor whether they are his:  that as they came in so blind a manner, and have been opened at several custom-houses, I will not be answerable especially having never given my consent to receive them, and having opened the box ignorantly, without knowing the contents:  that when I did open it, I concluded it came from Florence, having often refused to buy most of the things, which had long lain upon the jeweller’s hands on the old bridge, and which are very improper for sale here, as all the English for some years have seen them, and not thought them worth purchasing — that I remember in the catalogue the price for the whole was fixed at two thousand pistoles; that they are full as much worth two-and-twenty thousand; and that I have been laughed at by people to whom I have showed them for naming so extravagant a price:  that nobody living would think of buying all together:  that for myself, I have entirely left off making any collection; and if I had not, would not buy things dear now which I have formerly refused at much lower prices.  That, after all, though I cannot think myself at all well used by Marquis Riccardi, either in sending me the things, in the price he has fixed on them, or in the things themselves, which to my knowledge he has picked up from the shops on the old bridge, and were no family collection, yet, as I received so many civilities at Florence from the nobility, and in particular from his wife, Madame Riccardi, if he will let me do any thing that is practicable, I will sell what I can for him.  That if he will send me A new and distinct catalogue, with the price of each piece, and a price considerably less than what he has set upon the whole, I will endeavour to