316 Excursion Jrom Lake Como to 



tion from thi'*, I have, in order that you 

 may not think yourself forgotten (hiring 

 your absence from here, this day appoini- 

 ed you to the division of Estlionia ; and 

 hope, at the same time, to liave the plea- 

 sure of seeing yon soon. I remain con- 

 stantly your wcll-atfected 



Moscow; Catherine. 



Ulavch 3, 1763. 



Autograph. 



Connt Peter Alexandrowitch, — I send 

 yon, with this present, Teplow, with whom 

 I wish you to have a great conversation in 

 Little Russia. Catherine. 



Nov. 15, 176^. 



Ukase to Gen. Tlumjanznip. 



To your rey)ort of 18lh of May, I an- 

 swer, 1. All towns in Little Russia, which 

 Jiave not been granted by express imperial 

 ukases, are to be resumed ; biif, with re- 

 sped to those granted by express nkases, 

 a nei;ocialion is to be entered info with 

 the noblemen, in order that they may, for 

 a proper indemnity, again return them to 

 the treasury- 2. Since, from the second 

 part of your report, it may be seen, that 

 some of the granted towns only l)car the 

 name of such, but are for the most part 

 only vacant spots, you are to institute an 

 enquiry whetlier it would not be more 

 useful, both in a political and a commer- 

 cial point of view, to build in appropriated 

 places new and more nseful towns, and 

 supply them with every requisite for a 

 comfortable life ; otherwise, I entirely 

 .agree with your opinion. 3. Respecting 

 the town-house villages granted to noble- 

 men, you will proceed tlic same as with 

 . the towns. 4. I approve of tiie plan of 

 the town of Glucliow, and expect your 

 report respecting the funds from which it 

 is to be built. I approve of the points of 

 your report. 5. On the establishment of 

 the police. 6. On artists and artisans; 

 respecting the inviting of skilful men for 

 the formation of various plantations. 8. 

 Respecting the examination of the salt- 

 petre, we have commissioned our general 

 of the aitilleiy. 9. Respecting the posts, 

 we approve. JO. Concerning the artil- 

 lery cf the district, we shall for the pre- 

 sent delay. 



Art. 16 and 17 speak respcctin-j 

 rcciesiastical estates and schools, in Hie 

 stale of wliich lire ecclesiastical com- 

 mission is lo enquire. This document 

 is dated from the 9lh of July, 1765, and 

 accompanied by Iho following auto- 

 grapli letter: — 



Connt P. Alexandrowitch, — I have de- 

 layed sending the ukase to the ecclesias- 

 tical commission, mentioned in the 16tli 

 point cf this day's letter, and wish that 

 you may induce some of the pana (noble- 

 men) to present me a petition for a better 

 arrangement of their schools and semina- 

 ries; and, if possible, to get also a similar 



the Valleline and Bellano. [May 1, 



petition either from clergymen or laymen, 

 OB the state of the clergy : then we should 

 know where to begin. I have been told 

 by Nicolai Tclietcherin, that even the me- 

 tropolitan of Kievv would not be averse to 

 such an arrangement, because his revenue 

 from the villages is smaller than that of 

 the late archbishop of Great Russia ; and, 

 if he would make up his mind to petition 

 for a clerical constitution, we would grant 

 him very favourable conditions. All this 

 I entrrrst to your known zeal and ability, 

 and beg you to excuse me for not having 

 answered you before ; in future I shall be , 

 more industrious, and remain for ever, 

 with particular conlidence and kindness, 



July 9, 1765. Catherine. 



'J'he above letters are a sj)ecimen of 

 about sixty others; for the most part 

 addressed to the same general, and 

 chiclly relating to the Turkish war, ia 

 which lie was coumiaiider-iu-cbief. 



For the Montlilij Magazine. 



EXCURSION frovi LAKE COMO tO t/ie 

 VALTIiLINE and rELLANo; hy M. 

 amoretti, keeper of the ambrosian 



LJBRARY at MILAN. 



JETTING out from the Cadenabia, 

 kS ail inii on the banks of Lake Como, 

 the author proceeds to Menagio,; where 

 he liotices and records an event that 

 Iiad just occurred, the discovery of an 

 earth proper for the fabrication of porce- 

 lain. From Menagio lie repairs to 

 Ga'etta, (Cajcta,) where the land is en- 

 riched wit!) veins of ferruginous metal. 

 From Ga'etta he passes on to Rczzonico, 

 (Rhostionicum,) which has easily pre- 

 served the memory of the ancient Jllieln, 

 and the name of a great family, in the 

 times succeeding. He then ascends a 

 rising ground, to view, in the church of 

 Ciemia, a St. Michael, by Paul Vero- 

 nese, regarded as a descriptive picture, 

 and an excellent specimen of his art. 

 Below tiiis village ap|)car the ruins of 

 the castle of Miisso, which are pointed 

 out to notice as having given occasion 

 to national events in the Italian history. 

 It had three rows of fortified works, 

 with a perpendicular fosse cut in the 

 rock, and was originally constructed by 

 Trivulzi, a celebrated commander in the 

 service of Louis XII. and Francis I. 

 From the account given, it must have 

 been a place of considerable strength, 

 as J. J. de Medici therein resisted all 

 attempts to dislodge him; and was not 

 only Ihc defender of his family and pro- 

 perty, but he subjected his neighbouring 

 enemies, and became tiic terror of the 

 Sforzas. In fact, lie c<nK|Ucrcd a great 

 part of tiic riparian districts (boidcrcd 



«iili 



