with his thoughts; his eyes quick and piercing, though not large; and he is marked with the fmall-pox. I told you in this letter that we paffed part of the evening at the Dutchefs of Bracciano's: As we were there early, before much company was arrived, she was so obliging as to enter into a particular converfation with me. We were feated on a fofa, when one of the gentlemen in waiting entered and announced il Re. As there were many rooms to pass before this perfonage could appear, The feized that opportunity to defire me upon no account to fpeak to, or take the leaft notice of him, as it was not only what she infifted upon in her houfe, but that it was the Pope's order that no ftranger, particularly English, fhould hold any conversation with him. I affured her my principles were diametrically oppofite to thofe of the Stuart family and their party, adding more of the like fort; but I concluded with saying, that if he spoke to me, I could not, as a gentlewoman, refrain from answering him, confidering him only in the light of a gentleman, and should treat him as I would do any other foreigner or native, with that general civility requifite on fuch occafions; fhe ftill infifted upon my not answering fhould he speak to me, with which I refused to comply: I think I was right, my reasons were thefe: I knew before, that no gentlemen of the British empire make themfelves known to him, but on the contrary avoid. it, except fuch as declare themselves difaffected to the prefent royal family; at least, so it is understood at Rome. I had alfo heard that he politely avoided embarraffing them by throwing himself in their way but as I am not a man, it ftruck me as very ridiculous for me, a woman, not to reply to the Pretender if he spoke to me, as fuch a caution would bear the appearance of paffing myself for being of political confequence; added to thefe confiderations, I had great curiofity to fee him and hear him speak-But to return; he entered, and bowing very politely to the company, advanced to the individual fofa on which I was placed with the Dutchefs of Bracciano, and feated himself by me, having previously made me a particular bow, which I returned with a low curtfey; he endeavoured to enter into converfation with me, which he affected by addreffing himself equally to the dutchefs, another lady, and myfelf; at last he addressed me in particular, and asked me how many days fince my arrival at Rome, how long I fhould ftay, and feveral fuch queftions. This converfation paffed in Frenchwhat diftreffed me was how to style him-I had but a moment for reflection; it ftruck me that Mon Prince (though the common appellation (in France) to every ftranger whose rank as a prince is the most dubious) would not come well from me, as it might admit of a double fenfe in an uncandid mind-Highnefs was equally improper; fo I hit upon what I thought a middle course, and called called him Mon Seigneur. I wished to fhorten the conversation, for all on a fudden he faid, "Speak English, Madam." Before I could reply, the Dutchess of Monte Libretti came up, and pulled me by the fleeve; I went with her to a card-table at which she was going to play: I declined playing, not being perfect in the games; besides, you know I hate cards. At my departure, I took leave of the Dutchefs of Bracciano (agreeable to the custom) and the Chevalier, who played at her table, officiously civil, rose up, and wished me a good night. He is naturally above the middle fize, but ftoops exceffively; he appears bloated and red in the face, his countenance heavy and fleepy, which is attributed to his having given into excess of drinking; but when a young man, he must have been esteemed handfome. His complexion is of the fair tint, his eyes blue, his hair light brown, and the contour of his face a long oval; he is by no means thin, has a noble prefence, and a graceful manner: his dress was scarlet, laced with a broad gold lace; he wears the blue ribband outfide of his coat, from which depends a cameo (antique) as large as the palm of my hand; with the fame garter and motto as those of the noble order of St. George in England; upon the 'whole, he has a melancholic, mortified appearance. Two gentlemen conftantly attend him; they are of Irish extraction, and Roman Catholics you may be fure. This evening, after quitting the Cardinal's, we were at the Princess Pa leftrine's leftrine's converfazione, where he was alfo. He addreffed me as politely as the evening before. The Princess defired me to fit by her; fhe played with him he asked me, if I understood the game of Tarocchi (what they were about to play at); I answered in the negative, upon which, taking the pack in his hands, he defired to know if I had ever seen such odd cards: I replied, that they were very odd indeed; he then displaying them said, Here is every thing in the world to be found in thefe cards, the fun, the moon, the ftars; and here, fays he, (fhewing me a card) is the Pope; here is the Devil, (and added) there is but one of the trio wanting, and you know who that fhould be. I was so amazed, fo aftonished, though he spoke this last in a laughing, good-humoured manner, that I did not know which way to look ; and as to a reply, I made none, but avoided cultivating converfation as much as poffible, left he fhould give it a political turn. What paffed afterwards was relative to fome of the English manners and amufements; fuch as, whether whift was in fashion at London, the affemblies numerous, &c. I was heartily glad when my vifit was finished. Before I close this letter I fhall mention St. Peter's and fome other particulars. We go from hence to-morrow or the day following; a quiet moment presents itfelf, and I feize it to conclude this long letter. You have feen many prints representing the outside of St. Peter's church, but they they are all (that I have met with) on fo fmall a scale, as to give but a very faint idea of the magnificent original. The piazza great court, or approach to the church, is divided into two parts, one of which forms an oval, the other a rectangle; the oval opens as you fee in the prints, and presents at once a view of the church in front; this opening has a wonderful effect. The colonade which ranges on each fide, erected on the oval plan I mentioned, forms a piazza (I use this word here in the fenfe it is confined to in England) covered at top; the entablature, &c. fupported by four rows of large pillars; the whole is crowned by a balustrade, on which are placed ftatues of faints, &c. I think not less than thirtyfix holy perfonages. There appeared to us both, at the first fight of this colonade, a moft ftriking fault in the architecture; the pillars, which are of ftone, fhow heavy and crowded. This is the more furprifing, as the defign, &c. are Bernini's; all the ftatues and architecture we have hitherto seen of that mafter being univerfally too light. The floor is paved with brick, and at prefent fo much out of repair as to make walking on it dangerous. The pavement of the open place is of ftone. In the center ftands a fine Egyptian antique obelisk* of oriental granite; it is one en tire This obelisk (as alfo fome others at Rome) is of the most remote antiquity, probably from the times of the firft Kings of Egypt, more than a thousand years before the Affyrians pene trated |