and apparently contradictory to common sense, as the pagods of China. God knows whether it be the womanly spirit of contradiction that works in me, but there never, before, was such zeal against popery in the heart of, Dear Madam, &c. &c. LET LETTER XIII. To Mr., Vienna, O. 10, O. S. 1716. I DESERVE not all the re proaches you make me. If I have been some time without answering your letter, it is not, that I don't know how many thanks are due to you for it; or that I am ftupid enough to prefer any amufements to the pleasure of hearing from you; but after the profeffions of esteem you have fo obligingly made me, I cannot help delaying, as long as I can, fhewing you, that you are mistaken. If you are fincere, when you fay, you expect to be extremely entertained by my letters, I ought to be mortified at the difappointment that I am fure you will receive, when you hear from me; tho' I have done my beft endeavours to find out fomething worth writing to you. I have seen every thing that was to be feen with a very diligent curio fity. fity. Here are fome fine villas, particularly, the late Prince of Lichenftein's but the statues are all modern, and the pictures not of the first hands. 'Tis true, the Emperor has fome of great value. I was yesterday to fee the repofitory, which they call his Treafure, where they seem to have been more diligent in amafing a great quantity of things, than in the choice of them. I fpent above five hours there, and yet there were very few things that stopped me long to confider them. But the number is prodigious, being a very long gallery filled, on both fides, and five large rooms. There is a vast quantity of paintings, amongst which are many fine miniatures, but the most valuable pictures are a few of Corregio, those of Titian being at the Favorita. The cabinet of jewels did not appear to me fo rich as I expected to fee it. They fhewed me here a cup, about the fize of a tea-difh, of one entire emerald, which they had fo particular a refpect for, that only the Emperor has has the liberty of touching it. There is a large cabinet full of curiofities of clock-work, only one of which I thought worth obferving, that was a craw-fifh with all the motions fo natural, that it was hard to distinguish it from the life. The next cabinet was a large collection of Agates, fome of them extremely beautiful and of an uncommon fize, and feveral vafes of Lapis Lazuli. I was furprized to fee the cabinet of medals fo poorly furnished, I did not remark one of any value, and they are kept in a most ridiculous diforder. As to the Antiques, very few of them deserve that name. Upon my faying they were modern, I could not forbear laughing at the answer of the profound antiquary that shewed them, that "they were ancient enough, for to his knowledge they had been there these forty years;" but the next cabinet diverted me yet better, being nothing else but a parcel of wax babies, and toys in ivory, very well worthy to be presented to children of five years years old. Two of the rooms were wholly filled with these trifles of all kinds, fet in jewels, amongst which I was defired to obferve a crucifix, that they affured me had spoke very wifely to the Emperor Leopold. I won't trouble you with a catalogue of the reft of the lumber, but I must not forget to mention, a small piece of loadstone that held up an anchor of steel too heavy for me to lift. This is what I thought tye moft curious in the whole treasure. There are fome few heads of ancient ftatues; but feveral of them are defaced by modern additions. I foresee that you will be very little fatisfied with this letter, and I dare hardly afk you, to be good-natured enough to charge the dulness of it, on the barrennefs of the subject, and to overlook the ftupidity of Your, &c. &c. LET |
