IWlortleg Montague 169 



give me so much employment, and be the play- 

 thing of my age, now my pen and needle are 

 almost useless to me. . . . 



Now the sea is open, we may send packets to 

 one another. I wish you would send me Camp- 

 bell's book of prints of the English houses, and 

 that Lord Bute would be so good as to choose 

 me the best book of practical gardening extant. 



TO THE COUNTESS OF BUTE. 



Salo, October 17, 1750. 



DEAR CHII/D: I received yours of August 

 25th this morning, October 17th, N.S. It was 

 every way welcome to me, particularly finding 

 you and your family in good health. You will 

 think me a great rambler, being at present far 

 distant from the date of my last letter. I have 

 been persuaded to go to a palace near Salo, 

 situate on the vast lake of Gardia, and do not 

 repent my pains since my arrival, though I have 

 passed a very bad road to it. It is indeed, take 

 it altogether, the finest place I ever saw : the 

 king of France has nothing so fine, nor can 

 have in his situation. It is large enough to 

 entertain all his court, and much larger than 

 the royal palace of Naples, or any of those of 

 Germany or England. It was built by the great 

 Cosmo, Duke of Florence, where he passed 



