57 



I am very happy, my dearest friend, to find by 

 your letter you are so gay, as thence I judge well of 

 your health. I who, as you know, live merely as a 

 hermit, have lately found myself at table with Lady 

 Spenser, the Duchess of Devonshire, and Lady Dun- 

 cannon, giving them the names of some plants they 

 had collected : they winter at Pisa. I mention this 

 merely to give you notice, that you may not be sur- 

 prised. I told them I had a friend in England infi- 

 nitely better able to assist them than myself. By- 

 the-by, they found me wonderfully clever, because 

 they had seen nothing but some blundering obso- 

 lete amateurs, and were surprised just as I am when 

 I go to England, when I constantly say to myself on 

 arriving, " How well these people speak English !" 

 were a sailor or a fishwoman the first persons I 

 meet. 



I shall not touch on politics, as I understand no- 

 thing at all of those matters. I should be very happy 

 in seeing the establishment of a virtuous liberty, and 

 a state of things free from the abominable effects of 

 intrigue and corruption. But men will never be 

 perfect; and I know not whether it were not better 

 to remain in a state accompanied with some incon- 

 veniences, if not quite intolerable, as they were in 

 France, than run the risk of being still worse in 

 endeavouring to be better. As for the French, I 

 know not whether they are, as a nation, capable of 

 doing such great things : they always run into ex- 

 tremes, and overshoot reason. Perhaps I am nar- 

 row-minded ; but I love them not, nor can I ever 

 think them capable of solidity : I know there arc 



