DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42863#0027
ROMAN ANTIQUES
7
“ Illustrious Lady mine,—This morning I pre-
sented your letter with much pleasure to the Cardinal
di S. Prassede, delivering it with my own hands,
and he spoke very warmly of you, and made me
all manner of offers in your name, for which I thanked
him sincerely. Only he is so old that he will hardly
be able to do much more for us. Thank God I
am keeping well, and live happy under the shadow
of Your Excellency’s protection, which follows me
all over the world. Yesterday I kissed the feet of
His Holiness and saluted him in your name, which
pleased him greatly. He sends you his best thanks,
and will attend to your wishes, of which I informed
him; but, as he was engaged with these Cardinals,
I could not say anything more to him. Since then
I have been spending my time in revisiting the
remains of ancient Rome. So many ‘fine things’
have been discovered since I was here last that I
am dumbfoundered at the sight. Here many people
take interest in these matters, so that it has become
very difficult to get the best things, unless you are
the first to see them and ready to pay well, as
they soon fetch large prices. I must go and see a
bronze relief worked in silver, which I hear is very
fide, and which, it seems to me, Your Highness
might like. I will strike the bargain if I can, be-
cause it would be an ornament worthy of any place.
And I will keep my eyes open, and have already
told the excavators to let me know, before any one
else, if they find a really good antique, and I will
lose no opportunity of serving you. But, if Your
Excellency comes to Rome this carnival, I am sure
many fine presents will be given you, and here your
coming is awaited with the utmost eagerness. I
7
“ Illustrious Lady mine,—This morning I pre-
sented your letter with much pleasure to the Cardinal
di S. Prassede, delivering it with my own hands,
and he spoke very warmly of you, and made me
all manner of offers in your name, for which I thanked
him sincerely. Only he is so old that he will hardly
be able to do much more for us. Thank God I
am keeping well, and live happy under the shadow
of Your Excellency’s protection, which follows me
all over the world. Yesterday I kissed the feet of
His Holiness and saluted him in your name, which
pleased him greatly. He sends you his best thanks,
and will attend to your wishes, of which I informed
him; but, as he was engaged with these Cardinals,
I could not say anything more to him. Since then
I have been spending my time in revisiting the
remains of ancient Rome. So many ‘fine things’
have been discovered since I was here last that I
am dumbfoundered at the sight. Here many people
take interest in these matters, so that it has become
very difficult to get the best things, unless you are
the first to see them and ready to pay well, as
they soon fetch large prices. I must go and see a
bronze relief worked in silver, which I hear is very
fide, and which, it seems to me, Your Highness
might like. I will strike the bargain if I can, be-
cause it would be an ornament worthy of any place.
And I will keep my eyes open, and have already
told the excavators to let me know, before any one
else, if they find a really good antique, and I will
lose no opportunity of serving you. But, if Your
Excellency comes to Rome this carnival, I am sure
many fine presents will be given you, and here your
coming is awaited with the utmost eagerness. I