worthye reader, would the barbarous infcription of some ancient monument appear to thee, and how plealaunt to thyne eyne wytheall, thus preferved in its obfolete spelling, and original Black Charafer! To this branch of Tafte I am more particularly preffed: A correfpondent defires to know, whether I was of the party, that lately took a furvey of Palmyra in the Defart; another, if I have traverfed the Holy Land, or visited Mount Calvary: I fhall not speak too proudly of my travels: but as my predeceffor the SPECTATOR has recommended himself by having made a trip to Grand Cairo to take measure of a pyramid, I affure my reader, that I have climbed Mount Vesuvio in the midft of it's eruptions, and dug fome time underground in the ruins of Herculaneum.

I SHALL always be follicitous to procure the efteem of so respectable a body as the Connoisseurs; fince I cannot but be fenfible, could I any way merit it by my labours, how much more important the name of Mr. Town would appear, dignified with the addition of F. R. S. or Member of the Society of Antiquarians. I therefore take this early opportunity of obliging the curious with a letter from a very eminent perfonage, who, as well as myself, is lately become a CONNOISSEUR, and is known to have gone abroad for no other purpose than to buy Pictures.

Το

To Mr.

DEAR SIR,

HE hurry in which I left England muft

T have convinced you how much I was in

earnest, when I talked of making a valuable collection of pictures. By my frequent attendance on fales, I already know almost as much of painting, as I do of the funds; and can talk as learnedly of light and shade, figure, proportion, drapery, &c. as of the rise and fall of stocks. I have, however, been very much embarraffed in getting together a collection, fuitable to the reli gion I profefs. The famous painters were most of them fuch bigots to their own way of thinking, that they have scarce left any thing behind them but Holy Families, Dead Chrifts, and Madonas; fubjects, which to me and my tribe are odious and abominable. A picture, fince it has the property of being the language of all mankind, should never be particular in it's fubject; but we should paint, as the English are taught to pray," for all Jews, Turks, Infidels "and Heretics."

WHEN I have made the tour of Italy, I will fend you a complete lift of all my purchases: in the mean time, the following short specimen will

enable

enable you to judge of my precautions, in felecting pieces fuitable to my character, and not offenfive to my principles.

THE first that I bought was "the Elevation "of the GOLDEN CALF." This I fhall fet up in the Royal Exchange, as a typical reprefentation of myself, to be worshipped by all brokers, infurers, scriveners, and the whole fraternity of stock-jobbers.

THE fecond is "the Triumph of GIDEON." This I intended, if a late project in favour of our brethren had not mifcarried, fhould have been hung up in St. Stephen's Chapel, as a memorial of our victory over the Uncircumcifed.

THE third and fourth are "PETER denying "his Mafter," and "JUDAS betraying him for "thirty pieces of filver;" both which I defign as presents to our two worthy friends, the Bof and

-S

THE next which I fhall mention to you, deferves particular notice; and this is "the Prophet "of Nazareth himself, conjuring the Devil into "an herd of Swine." From this piece, when I return to England, I intend to have a print engraved;

engraved; being very proper to be had in all Jewish families, as a necessary preservative against Pork and Chriftianity.

The

I SHALL not tire you with a particular detail of fome other leffer pieces; fuch as Deluge, in water colours-The New Jerufalem, in perspective-Some Ruins of the TempleA Publican at the Receipt of Custom-anda SAMPSON in miniature.

BESIDES thefe, I have employed an ingenious artist here to execute a defign of my own. It is a picture of FORTUNE, not ftanding (as in the common ftile) upon a kind of cart-wheel, but on the two wheels of the lottery; with a reprefentation of a net caft over the leffer engroffers of tickets, while a CHIEF MANAGER is breaking his way through the meshes.

I MUST not forget to tell you, that I have picked up an infamous pourtrait, by an English hand, called SHYLOCK; with the following infcription under it, taken I suppose from the London Evening Poft, or that impudent FOOL the GaZetteer: "They have difgraced me, and hin- "dered me half a million, laught at my loffes, "mockt at my gains, fcorned my nation, "thwarted

"thwarted my bargains, cooled my friends,

"heated mine enemies ;

❝ reafon? I am a Jew."

and what's the

As foon as the parliament is diffolved, you may expect to see me in England; till when

I am, dear fir, yours, &c.

I SHALL here fubjoin a letter of a very different stamp; which points out to me another walk as a CONNOISSEUR, not lefs extenfive perhaps, and more agreeable to the modern tafte, than that of Virtù.

SIR,

Το Mr.

TOWN.

Suppofe CONNOISSEUR is only another word

for a KNOWING ONE. So write me a few papers in defence of cards, dice, races, and gaming in general; and I will admit you upon the Square, introduce you at White's, set you upon the Turf, the next meeting at Newmarket, and make your fortune at once. If you are the man I take you for, you will be wife, and do this directly; and then the odds are for you. If not,