Ozias Humphry to Towne, 17 Apr 1781

Newman Str Ap 17th 1781

Dear Towne

I rec’d the favor of your obliging Letter from Rome giving me a long Account of your Journey thither wch must have been delightful to you. Whilst you were rioting in all the luxuries of those Scenes I was amusing myself with my friends in Devonshire. Tho we have prospects there that are rich & for English Scenes very extensive, how wretched & limited they seem compared with what you see from the Convent above the lake of Albano? or how infinitely small compared with those from Monte Cavo still higher up? What villa there can be named with Monte Dragone at Frascati - and the Villa Braccione? Where are there Waterfalls like that at Tivoli ornamented with such an exquisite & classical Fragment as the Temple, & the ruins of Mecaenas' Villa? Again so near the Villa d’Este & the stupendous ruins of that of Adrian? from what Earthly Situation can be seen a sight so awful as that from the Capital Tower? on one side ruins of those massy Structures of the Tyrants & Sovereigns of the World - & on the other the no less magnificent Buildings of modern Rome. How my heart throbs when I reflect on them? What again can be grander than the Scene from the front of St Pietro Montorio a bare Catalogue of the Objects of wch must warm the most indifferent Reader - I must have done - this I scrawl in Newman Str at my Breakfast whilst my tea is cooling Perhaps you will be more amus’d to know that Mr West & family are well - Paines do & all Friends I have just bought ten volumes more of Piranesi’s Antiquities of Rome that nothing of them may be forgotten Our Exhibition will open on May Day shall I anticipate the contents to you? Sr Joshua will exhibit his Death of Dido. Hon Lady Waldegrave half length a figure of Thais from the last Stanza of Dryden’s Alexander’s Feast, with a Flambeau in Zeal to destroy when like another Helen she fired another Troy - Mr West sends an immensely large picture of Christ healing the Sick - for Windsor - Banks his Cupid - a Colossal Head of Hume & a model of the Princess made in Terra. Mr Gainsborough portraits of the King & Queen and many others. Farrington an immense Landskip, a view of the lakes in Cumberland which I hear very great accts of. Poor Wilson is utterly incapable indeed he moves about the Street an awful lesson to every intemperate Artist. Mrs Cosway sends many things that will do her great credit. Stubbs sends the largest Enamel picture of fighting Horses that probably ever was painted - Gainsborough will likewise have many Landskips I beg to be kindly remembered to Day - Pars - Jones - & all Friends in Rome - pray tell the former that his pictures that he sent me do him great credit I wish to hear from him very much but much want to see him in England. I shall esteem it a great favour if you will be so obliging as to bring me three or four pounds of Black Italian Chalk but pray take care that it is really good, smooth & Black because we have an indifferent sort in great abundance here -

I remain with very best wishes for your health & prosperity

Your very sincere friend
Ozias Humphrey

a
Monsieur Towne
au Café Anglois
a Rome
en Italie