lower, we pay but five livres per post, and ten sols to the postilion.
In order to quicken its pace, we gave ten sols extraordinary to each
postilion, and for this gratification, he drove us even faster than the
post. The chaises are like those of Italy, and will take on near two
hundred weight of baggage.

Coni is situated between two small streams, and though neither very
large nor populous, is considerable for the strength of its
fortifications. It is honoured with the title of the Maiden-Fortress,
because though several times besieged, it was never taken. The prince
of Conti invested it in the war of 1744; but he was obliged to raise
the siege, after having given battle to the king of Sardinia. The place
was gallantly defended by the baron Leutrum, a German protestant, the
best general in the Sardinian service: but what contributed most to the
miscarriage of the enemy, was a long tract of heavy rains, which
destroyed all their works, and rendered their advances impracticable.

I need not tell you that Piedmont is one of the most fertile and
agreeable countries in Europe, and this the most agreeable part of all
Piedmont, though it now appeared to disadvantage from the rigorous
season of the year: I shall only observe that we passed through
Sabellian, which is a considerable town, and arrived in the evening at
Turin. We entered this fine city by the gate of Nice, and passing
through the elegant Piazza di San Carlo, took up our quarters at the
Bona Fama, which stands at one corner of the great square, called La
Piazza Castel.

Were I even disposed to give a description of Turin, I should be
obliged to postpone it till another opportunity, having no room at
present to say any thing more, but that I am always--Yours.

LETTER XXXIX

AIX EN PROVENCE, May 10, 1765.

DEAR SIR,--I am thus far on my way to England. I had resolved to leave
Nice, without having the least dispute with any one native of the
place; but I found it impossible to keep this resolution. My landlord,
Mr. C--, a man of fashion, with whose family we had always lived in
friendship, was so reasonable as to expect I should give him up the
house and garden, though they were to be paid for till Michaelmas, and
peremptorily declared I should not be permitted to sub-let them to any
other person. He had of his own accord assured me more than once that
he would take my furniture off my hands, and trusting to this
assurance, I had lost the opportunity, of