and though we had heard many strange descriptions of the scene, none of them at all came up to it. We were but five hours in performing the whole, from which you may judge of the rapidity of the men's motion. We are now got into Piedmont, and stopped a little while at La Ferriere, a small village about three quarters of the way down, but still among the clouds, where we began to hear a new language spoken round about us; at last we got quite down, went through the Pas de Sufe, a narrow road among the Alps, defended by two fortreffes, and lay at Boffolens : Next evening through a fine avenue of nine miles in length, as straight as a line, we arrived at this city, which, as you know, is the capital of the Principality, and the refidence of the King of Sardinia. * * We shall stay here, I believe, a fortnight, and proceed for Genoa, which is three or four days journey to go poft. I am, &c.

LETTER XXI.

MR. GRAY TO MR. WEST.

Turin, Nov. 16, N. S. 1739.

FTER eight days journey through Greenland, we arrived at Turin. You approach it by a handsome avenue of nine miles long, and

quite ftraight. The entrance is guarded by

certain vigilant dragons, called Douaniers, who mumbled us for fome time. The city is not large, as being a place of ftrength, and confequently confined within its fortifications; it has many beauties and fome faults; among the first are streets all laid out by the line, regular uniform buildings, fine walks that furround the whole, and in general a good lively clean appearance: But the houses are of brick plastered, which is apt to want repairing; the windows of oiled paper, which is apt to be torn; and every thing very flight, which is apt to tumble down.

There is an excellent Opera, but it is only in the Carnival : Balls every night, but only in the Carnival: Masquerades too, but only in the Carnival. This Carnival lafts only from Christmas to Lent; one half of the remaining part of the year is passed in remembering the last, the other in expecting the future Carnival. We cannot well fubfift upon such slender diet, no more than upon an execrable Italian Comedy, and a Puppet-Show, called Rappresentatione d'un' anima dannata, which, I think, are all the present diverfions of the place; except the Marquise de Cavaillac's Converfazione, where one goes to fee people play at Ombre and Taroc, a game with 72 cards all painted with funs, and moons, and devils, and monks. Mr. Walpole has been at court; the family are at present at a country palace, called La Venerie. The palace here in town is the very quinteffence of gilding and looking-glafs; inlaid floors, carved panels, and painting, wherever they could ftick a brush. I own, I have not, as yet, anywhere met with those grand and fimple works of Art, that are to amaze one, and whofe fight one is to be the better for:

N N

But those of Nature have astonished me beyond expreffion.

In our little journey up to the Grande Chartreuse, I do not remember to have gone ten paces without an exclamation, that there was no restraining: Not a precipice, not a torrent, not a cliff, but is pregnant with religion and poetry. There are certain scenes that would awe an atheist into belief, without the help of other argument. One need not have a very fantastic imagination to see spirits there at noon-day; You have death perpetually before your eyes, only fo far removed, as to compofe the mind without frighting it. I am well perfuaded St. Bruno was a man of no common genius, to choose such a situation for his retirement; and perhaps should have been a disciple of his, had I been born in his time. You may believe Abelard and Heloïse were not forgot upon this occafion: If I do not mistake, I saw you too every now and then at a distance along the trees; il me femble, que j'ai vu ce chien de vifage là quelque part. You seemed to call to me from the other fide of the precipice, but the noise of the river below was so great, that I really could not distinguish what you faid; it seemed to

you

will be fo

The week we have

have a cadence like verfe. In your next good to let me know what it was. fince paffed among the Alps, has not equalled the single day upon that mountain, because the winter was rather too far advanced, and the weather a little foggy. However, it did not want its beauties; the favage rudeness of the view is inconceivable without feeing it: I reckoned in one day, thirteen cascades, the least of which was, I dare fay, one hundred feet in height. I had Livy in the chaife with me, and beheld his "Nives cœlo propè immistæ, tecta informia impofita rupibus, pecora jumentaque torrida frigore, homines intonfi & inculti, animalia inanimaque omnia rigentia gelu; omnia confragofa, præruptaque." The creatures that inhabit them are, in all respects, below humanity; and most of them, especially women, have the tumidum guttur, which they call gofcia. Mont Cenis, I confefs, carries the permiffion mountains have of being frightful rather too far; and its horrors were accompanied with too much danger to give one time to reflect upon their beauties. There is a family of the Alpine monsters I have