You will not expect my dear Friend an excuse for my not writing you from Turin, or Florence, when you are informed that my stay, in those cities, was no longer, than what was absolutely necessary to see the Gallery of painting, in the Palace of the King of Sardinia, at Turin, & the feast of St. John & the Gallery, at the Palace of the Grand Duke of Toscane, at Florence, of which I shall say no more, than that I found in those galleries many paintings which answered my highest expectations, as I am, you know very well, far from being a Connoissour in Painting. Being arrived at Rome I can only tell you that I have been buried in Antiquities & Curiosities, since my arrival of which I shall not trouble you with a description as I feel myself unequal to the task. Suffice it to say, that I have seen thundering Jupiter—chaste Diana—beautiful Venus (a copy of the Venus of Medicis at Florence) Pallas—Hercules—Mars—Bacchus & a variety of other divinities. I have also seen the busts of Antient Poets—Statues of former Kings—dying Gladiators—Tombs &c &c ad infinitum. But the Statue of Antonius Pius, on horseback, in bronze, merits more than a bare mention, as it is an affair upon which a person may give his opinion, without pretending to an extraordinary knowledge in Statuary. It excels any equestrian Statue which I have met with—The Horse seems to live and even move—The position of the Rider is excellent, & has not that stiffness which is generally found in works of Art. To have a proper idea of this statue you must see it, as description can not but fall short of it.

The several columns deserve to be seen, & particularly those of Trajan & [Antoninus], which appear to be a collection of figures in basso relievo from the base to the Capital. That of Trajan is in a very ugly situation, as the place, in which it is erected, is not larger than many Courtyards—The base is at least six feet below the street, which shews that that quarter of the City has been raised since the erection of the Column; for we can never suppose that so many feet, of such a column, would have been buried in the ground by those who erected it. The Triumphal arches must have been extremely elegant, as the bas reliefo are executed in a masterly manner. The amphitheatres are only remarkable for their age—The Flavian, part of which has been pulled down to build the Palais de [Farnese], is supposed to have been able to contain 150,000 people—but if we may judge from that part which remains, & the greatest part has not been destroyed, the computation is rather large.

Have you any late accounts from our part of the world, & has the misfortune which happened to the Comte de Grasse had any very bad effects? But I am asking you questions to which I can receive no answer whilst in Italy. I may in all probability leave this city in a week or ten days, as the heat is almost insupportable. Upon leaving this I may go for Naples or Civitta Vecchia, from one of which cities I shall endeavour to embark for Toulon. I will beg you to make my most respectfull compliments to your Grandfather & yourself to beleive me as ever Yours.