, to wait on me
where I pleased, &c. They have the finest palace in Venice. What is very
convenient, I hear it is not at all expected I should make any dinners,
it not being the fashion for anybody to do it here but the foreign
ministers; and I find I can live here very genteelly on my allowance. I
have already a very agreeable general acquaintance; though when I came,
here was no one I had ever seen in my life, but the Cavaliere Grimani
and the Abbe Conti. I must do them [the] justice to say they have taken
pains to be obliging to me. The Procurator brought his niece (who is at
the head of his family) to wait on me; and they invited me to reside
with them at their palace on the Brent, but I did not think it proper to
accept of it. He also introduced me to the Signora Pisani Mocenigo, who
is the most considerable lady here. The Nuncio is particularly civil to
me; he has been several times to see me, and has offered me the use of
his box at the opera. I have many others at my service, and, in short
it, is impossible for a stranger to be better received than I am. Here
are no English, except a Mr. Bertie and his governor, who arrived two
days ago, and who intends but a short stay."

Lady Mary thoroughly enjoyed herself at Venice, where she found a
variety of occupations to occupy her time. In the mornings she was
"wrapt up among my books with antiquarians and virtuosi"; in the
afternoons there were visits to pay and receive; in the evenings dinners
(at other people's expense--which fact did not detract from her
pleasure), assemblies, and the theatre and the opera. In fact, she found
there every delight except scandal, but that she did not miss, because
she said, she "never found any pleasure in malice." So strange a thing
is human nature that perhaps she believed it!

"Upon my word, I have spoken my real thoughts in relation to Venice; but
I will be more particular in my description, lest you should find the
same reason of complaint you have hitherto experienced" (she wrote in
November to Lady Pomfret). "It is impossible to give any rule for the
agreeableness of conversation; but here is so great a variety, I think
'tis impossible not to find some to suit every taste. Here are foreign
ministers from all parts of the world, who, as they have no Court to
employ their hours, are overjoyed to enter into commerce with any
stranger of distinction. As I am the only lady here at present, I can
assure you I am courted, as if