1$0 LETTERS FROM 



himfelf famous by his bold attacks on the prevailing 

 follies of mankind, is librarian. 



LETTER TI. 



Berlin, January, 1786, 



SOME few days ago I vifited a certain Genelli, who 

 is much celebrated for his engravings. This man is 

 by birth an Italian. He employed himfelf at firft in 

 painting, and after he had already made good progrefs 

 in that art, I know not by what accident, applied to 

 engraving the knowledge he had acquired in painting, 

 and thus has attained to an uncommon degree of per- 

 fection. I faw fire-fcreens of his performance, that 

 reprefented flower-pieces, in which it was difficult to fay 

 whether the art or the tedioufnefs of the work was moll 

 to be admired. Their beauty was frill much enhanced 

 by the glofs of the lilk which imitated that of the 

 flowers, and carried the deception to the higher! pitch. 

 The larger! of thefe fcreens had coft him the labour of 

 nine months, without turning his hand to any thing 

 elfe ; and yet he offered it for the moderate price of a 

 hundred ducats* The king called him hither from 

 Vienna, and allows him a peniion of five hundred dol- 

 lars ; but never would buy any of his works. It appears 

 as if it were the king's intention, that fomething of 

 every kind of induftry mould be feen in his capital. 

 He has drawn hither every manufacture as it were by 

 force, by granting privileges to individuals,, as a means of 

 enabling them to fet up thefe fabrics,, in fpite of all 

 ©ppofing circumftances. By fo doing, however, he has 



procured 



