L30/14/394/2

From Cardinal Valenti, Mantua to 2nd Baron Grantham, Madrid. [In French]:

20 Mar 1776

From: 1776 To: 1776

Translation: The familiarity which we enjoyed allows me to set aside the formalities, here I am My Lord to inform you of my happy arrival in Mantua. It is true that I have discharged this somewhat late, but you will understand easily that someone who arrives in his beloved homeland where he lacks neither family nor friends can scarcely exempt himself from the etiquette and acts of friendship owed by one to others. Add to all that my title of Cardinal Primate which, being rare in this town attracted everyone to me as did l’Orso Hormiggero did at his first appearance in Madrid. However you must not forget the absolute tokens of friendship with which you honoured me during my stay, I remember them and will always have them with me, although our dear Comte Gazola will have expressed on my behalf these same sentiments, I believe that I must repeat them to you here in proof of my real gratitude. Let us now come to some particulars of my journey, it was, thanks be to God, quite happy in spite of the bad season. Only the mountains of the Rochetta caused me to sigh and put my carriage to a great test. You could not imagine the amount of ice and snow that I found and it was so bad that at a certain place there were no rails to keep one from falling, my carriage and my retinue could have fallen down a frightful precipice. As for me, I was on foot with my brother wearied of seeing myself overturn in the snow at any moment. Thanks be to God once again, we came out of it safe and sound with the firm intention of travelling no more in winter. 51 days I took to journey here from Madrid. First you will say that all the priests of the Roman Church walk at the speed of a tortoise, but soft, I had to stop in several towns, at Medina de Campo, at Marseilles, at Antibes, at Genoa and at Parma and apart from these sojourns I would have arrived here in these bogs in less than a month, without even travelling by night, is it enough for a priest? We spoke of you often during the journey and of our dear Robinson, especially at Marseilles where the Consul from your Court took me for the Prince of Poland: you see My Lord, I have the look of a Pole. At Genoa I did not fail to give the stuff for Mr Pelham to my niece Duraggio, and I charged her, that on his arrival there, she should Obtain for him all the pleasures that a stranger could desire, and which are due to his consequence. I have now heard that he has arrived there and is found to have the character that I painted of him. I hear also that my niece, in order to carry out my orders, is running round the town with a colony of English folk attached to your nephew. By this time you will have had news of him. I do not doubt that my niece has fulfilled my orders with pleasure. Will you give me a little news of our new Secretary of State, it would have needed but little for me to have met him at Narbonne. I desire strongly that you tell me of your feelings with that frankness that I have always known in you, I would willingly arrange my own[feelings] accordingly. The Marquis de Grimaldi, already become a Grandee of Spain will have taken the road for Italy, and will not perhaps have taken the trouble to load his work on another. Oh what seduction in certain places? But will it endure? You will soon discover it. Finally, only from you do I await some interesting news of this hemisphere. Rest assured that I will not abuse it and will keep it to myself. From Rome I have had notice that the poplins and [?] linens have arrived in good condition. Please give my grateful thanks to the obliging Irish merchant who treated me to the latter. Without realising it, I am condemning you to read a long scribble, excuse me if I can no longer converse with you close at hand, I must at least do it from a distance. A thousand things to Mr Robinson, whom I embrace with all my heart, from me and my brother. He presents his compliments to you and tells me that he has not found any pictures by Valasse in Genoa. Neither of us will ever forget the kindnesses of our dear Milord. Myself more particularly still, who profited by them for a longer time, and who has the duty of making a suitable return, and to be for life your sincere and good servant and friend. Le Card Valenti. G[?onzaga] PS A message to our dear Gazola which says good things about the promotion by express courier.

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Gazola,
Pelham, Thomas,
Grimaldi