No.2

Chambery Dec 3. N.2.

at length (Dear Madm) I have the Pleasure of hearing from you. I hope you have found every thing in London to your satisfaction. I believe, it will a little, surprise you to hear that I am fix’d for this winter in this Obscure Town, which is generally so much unknown, that a description of it, will at least have novelty to recommend it . Here is the most profound peace, & unbounded plenty, that is to be found in any corner of the universe, but not one rag of Money, for my part I think it amounts to the same thing whither one is oblig’d to give several pence for bread, or can have a great deal of bread for a penny, since the Savoyard nobility here keep as good Tables without money as those at London who spend a Week what would be here a considerable yearly Revenue, Wine which is equal to the best Burgundy is sold for a penny a Quart, & I have a cook for very small wages that is capable of rivalling Chloé, here are no Equipages but chairs, the hire of which is about a crown a week. & all other matters proportionable, I can assure you I made the figure of the Dutchess of Marlborough, by carrying gold in my Purse, there being no visible coin but copper, yet we are all people that can produce Pedigrees to serve for the order of Malta, many of them have travell’d, & tis the Fashion to love reading, we eat together perpetually and have assemblys every night for conversation to say how the Houses are all built after the manner of the old English Towns, no body having money to build, for 200 years past, consequently, the walls are thick, the roofs low &c, the streets narrow & miserably pav’d. However a concurrence of circumstances obliges me to this residence for some time. You have not told me your thoughts of Venice, I heartily regret the loss of these Letters you mention, & have no comfort but in the hopes of a more regular correspondence for the Future, I cannot compassionate the Countess since I think her insolent character deserves all the Mortifications Heaven can send her, it will be charity to send me what news you pick up, which will be always shown advantageously by your relation, I must depend on your goodness for this, since I can promise you no return from hence, but the assurances that I am ever faithfully yours.

MWM

Be pleased to direct as before to Mr. Villette at the safest direction. Here are no such vanitys as gilt paper, therefore you must excuse the want of it.