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contained in the Palazzo Brignoletti; fo they are taken down and locked up, until the cause shall be decided. My next letter will find ample provifion in the churches, the villas, the halls for the greater and leffer councils, &c.

Pallavi

The best paintings in the palace of Pallavicini †, Palace of are a small Magdalene fitting; on her lap is placed cini. a skull, over which she is weeping; her tears fall upon the skull, and rolling round the indentures of the head, at length lofe themselves in the fockets of the eyes, although she endeavours with her beautiful locks to wipe them away from her cheeks. Her face is angelic; the drawing, colouring, and finishing admirable. This precious morfel is upon copper; but unfortunately the author is condemned to oblivion, for there is no catalogue; and even Cochin has not mentioned this picture. Its pendant is certainly by the fame hand, although not equal to the Magdalene, It is a Holy Family, but fingular of compofition; St. Joseph is liftening to an angel, who seems narrating somewhat that furprises him; his emotion is finely expreffed; the Virgin reading with fuch attention that fhe does not seem fenfible to the presence of her divine gueft; the infant Jefus fleeps upon the ground.-A large picture of Venus and Adonis juft dead; Venus is fainted away; in her countenance palenefs and horror are

Here are fome ornaments, cornices, &c. of admirable fucco, fmooth as ivory,

blended

blended with great sweetness; a Cupid having filled a fhell with water, is endeavouring upon tiptoe to throw it on her face. This is the finest and most natural figure of a child that can be seen. Adonis, beautiful in death, is wonderfully well executed in every refpect; one hand is open, and a dog who is howling for his mafter, holds his fore-paw on the palm of Adonis. This circumftance, which may be trifling to read, has a most pathetic effect in the picture; but I know you will feel it, fo I fhould not have called it trifling. Vandyke. This picture is fuppofed to be by Vandyke.—

Another very large piece, and which is well done. On the fore-ground is a young man, whose furprife, fear, and confternation, are mingled in his face; he is finely contrafted by a venerable figure who appears perfectly calm on the occafion. This picture, it seems, represents a Miracle, performed in Genoa a great while fince; namely, a young man being thrown from his horfe, St. Peter appeared to him, and cut off one of the legs of the horfe, and as quickly joined it on again, in fuch a manner, that there was no vifible difference between the leg that had been fevered and the others. This is the moment the painter has taken for the fubject of his piece.-A picture of Diana and Acteon, with her nymphs; it appears to be by Albani. Several of the nymphs finely done, their heads in particular extraordinarily graceful; but the landscape is poorly drawn.-A Holy Family,

Family, and St. Jerome, by Titian; a very fine picture. And a piece by Baffano, which does not, in respect of colouring, resemble the other performances I have feen of this mafter; it is very grey, but has his manner, his ease, and his richness of pencil. In this palace are some prophets and fome portraits that are good *. Adieu. We shall leave Genoa in a few days.*

* You have heard often of the magnificent furniture of thefe palaces; it is very true that the rooms are, for the most part, hung with velvet and damask, and the chairs covered with the fame; but you must take into the account that these materials are manufactured at Genoa, and that India paper is more expenfive in England than damaík here; alfo, thefe palaces are seldom new furnished, from twenty to fifty years they leave the fame hangings up; fo that, upon the whole, this apparent finery proves very good œconomy. And when the velvet chair-covers begin to wear, they take them off, and having cut out leaves and flowers of any old fragments of fattin they have by them, few it over the worn out places, and with a gimp as thick as a whip cord work round the edges of the flowers, or pattern; this has even a better effect than the velvet-covers had at first. Thus they repair the old furniture at a very flight expence.

LET

LETTER XVIII.

Genoa, November 11th.

Wot

OULD you believe it? the poft books are fo wrong, that the road they mention from hence to Florence (we have discovered) is only practicable for mules; for no carriage can pass it. Thus fhall we be obliged to measure back our steps as far as Novi, and from thence to Tortona, &c; for, as to a fea voyage from hence to Leghorn (although many strangers, and even English have frequently made it), it is not abfolutely without danger. A fouth-west wind may cause fome difficulties; the accommodations. on board the boats are wretched; in fhort, we have no idea of this manner of reaching Florence by Leghorn. By the road we are determined to take, we shall pass through Parma and Piacenza to Bologna; from all which places you may be fure I fhall write; for this is the last letter you will receive from Genoa, as we propofe quitting this town in a day or two, having feen every thing worthy and unworthy of the curiofity of ftrangers. Churches, fenate-houfes, I fhould have faid the halls of the Great and Leffer Councils; galley-flaves, inquifition, mifcellaneous anecdotes of affaffinations, penances, theatre, charities, villas, &c. ftill remain to fill this letter; fo you

muft

must expect a large packet, though I fhall endeavour to be as concife as poffible, confiftent with the accuracy you require of me.

Church.

The Jefuits Church is built in a very fingular Jefuits manner. A range of domes, one after the other, on each fide of the middle ifle, give this church too much the air of a theatre. The paintings in fresco are well done; the principal pictures are, an Affumption of the Virgin, confifting of twentyfix figures; this is an admirable performance; the fhades are brown and ftrong, and the oppofition of chiaro ofcuro finely preferved. It is by Guido.- Guido. Over the great altar, is a fine picture, by Rubens, Rubens. representing the Circumcifion; the figures are judiciously grouped, the colouring good, and the whole of great character. Another still better, by this mafter, of a Jefuit exorcifing a Demoniac; this piece is in a grand ftyle and manner; the lights and fhades finely diftributed, and the ftuffs rich and glowing. In the cathedral, but one good picture, which appears to be by Tiziano; the Tiziano. fubject, the Adoration of the Magi. The Virgin-mother and little Chrift are of the most perfect beauty. In the church of Carignano, a good picture of St. Francis receiving the Stigmates, by GuerciGuercino. The Martyrdom of St. Bafil is finely no. compofed, and the whole is in a great manner, although by Carlo Maratti; from whofe time Carlo may be dated the decline of the art of painting in Italy.

Maratti.

In

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