Chiefs of Grant > Correspondence

1763.] ABBE PETER GRANT. 537
acquaintance, whose letters I have seen, agreed unanimously in doing her the greatest
of justice, and in concludeing you to be most happy. I hear she is remarkably genteel,
handsome, sensible, and endow'd with a most sweet temper, and the best of humours,
for all which I begg leave to make you an offer of my most sincere and hearty
congratulations, and shall never cease to pray to the Almighty, that He may preserve
you both long for the mutual happyness of each other, and may be graciously pleas'd to
pour down upon you all the felicitys and blessings a marry'd state is capable of enjoying,
which, without any doubt, are the highest human life in this state of mortality is, or can
be, susceptible of. I expect you '11 assure her of my profound respects and warmest good
wishes, and, if I am not greatly mistaken, she thinks herself as compleatly happy with
you as you can think yourself with her. Long may you both continue in these endearing
sentiments, and may all the wishes of our inimitable friend, Mr. Wilcocks, which he express'd
so elegantly in the beautifull lines he made on your departure from hence, be crowned in
you. I have heard lately from that incomparable man, and have receiv'd a most valuable
cargo of books from him ; they are the Cambridge edition of the classicks. When you see
him, you '11 be so good as to say everything that is most gratefull from me to him. But
now I must come to the point which has engag'd me to adress you at present with this
epistle. Tis that Mr. Hamilton has at last finish'd the great work he undertook for you,
representing the grief of Achilles on the death of Patroculus. All I shall say of it is, that
it is, without any comparison, by many degrees the best thing he has ever yet done.
The composition is truely masterly, and the colouring is most delightfull. I call frequently
to see it, and it never fails to enchant me. It is more than you can conceive superior to
what he did on the death of Hector. He is determin'd, in a few days, to draw on your
bauquier's at London, Messrs. Fordyce and Grant, for a hundred pounds sterling. He has
already receiv'd two hundred. When he first engag'd to do it, he immagin'd that three
hundred pounds would be a sufficient price for it, but as he has put more figures in it than he
at that time thought he should, he thinks now he must have fifty pounds more from you.
His price is 50 pounds per figure ; this he has made everybody to pay him, and, whereas
in this work there are seven full figures, besides several half figures, he, therefor, is confident
you'll not begrudge him 50 more than the three hundred. The picture will be sent off as
soon as it 's dry. Then he is determin'd to write to you, and to give you several instructions
relative to the frameing of it. He beggs, in the meantime, to be most affectionately
remembred to you. As this will, in all lykelyhood, find you in Scotland, I must ask the
favour of you, when you come to Edinburgh, to see a couple of most worthy Italians I have
lately sent thither. They are the Signor Felice and the Signora Maria Doria. She is gone
to sing at the weekly concert, and he is by far the greatest master of the harpsicord this
country has had fpr many years. The Signora Maria is one of the best of her sex, and is a
most agreeable and remarkably well accomplish'd woman, far above her profession, as you
VOL. II. 3 y