239 
J. E. Smith to his Father. 
Honoured Sir, Milan, June 8, 1787. 
Nothing could exceed my joy and satisfaction on 
finding here your very affectionate letter of March 
29th, together with ten others from various friends. 
I always feel (thanks to your good instructions) 
so exactly the same sentiments towards Heaven on 
receiving your letters that you express on receiving 
mine, that I need not repeat them even if I could 
express them better ; and whenever I approach the 
place where I expect news from home, I endeavour 
to prepare my mind in such a manner, that if it 
were unfavourable I hope I could bear it, and if fa- 
vourable, as thank God it always has been, such a 
disposition of mind doubles my pleasure. 
My last was to my mother, from Bologna, May 
7th. I believe we shall fly down to Genoa fora 
few days, to congratulate my friend the marquis on 
his marriage, which is now in hand, and to strength- 
en still more my connection with his family, and 
especially with his elder brother, who is now the 
chief of the family, and who was beginning to be 
much attached to me: his son will soon come to 
England. From Genoa we go by the dow road to 
Turin, in which there is nothing to fear. Our jour- 
ney from Bologna here has been very prosperous 
and agreeable, and I now proceed to give youa 
sketch of it. To Venice we went by the Courier 
by water, pretty much as in Holland, in two days 
and two nights; the country we passed through 
was execrable, like the worst fens of Holland or 
