To MANN, Tuesday 4 December 1781

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To MANN 29 NOVEMBER 1781 215 nave been writing a volume here myself. Pray remember to answer me about Camilla Martelli. PS. Is there any china left in the Great Duke's collection, made by Duke Francis I himself?3'—Perhaps it was lately sold32 with what was called the refuse of the wardrobe, whence I hear some charming things were purchased; particularly the medallions33 of the Medici by Benvenuto Cellini. That sale and the history are enough to make the old Electress34 shudder in her coffin.35 To MANN, Tuesday 4 December 1781 This was sent with the preceding (HW). Tuesday noon, Dec. 4, 1781. IHAD sealed my letter, and sent to the office for your servant,1 when entered Lucas. He began with complaining that Cav. the latter had killed another son, Gio 32. Mann, post 2g Dec. 1781, mentions vanni) , while Ferdinando I was supposed annual sales. to have poisoned his brother Francesco I 33. They were only small models in and the latter's wife (Bianca Cappello). wax, and were purchased by Sir W. Ham Galluzzi attacks these reports in his ilton (HW) . A wax medallion of Fran Istoria, 4to edn, i. 328, ii. 40-1, 46-7, 426. cesco I by Cellini is mentioned by R. H. H. 30. Prince Ferdinand, who died in the Cust, Life of Benvenuto Cellini, lgio, ii. life of his father Cosmo III (HW) . 438-g, n. 2. Cellini is known to have Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of modelled a medallion of Alessandro de' Tuscany (ante i. 199, nn. 14, 16), led a Medici in wax (E. Plon, Benvenuto Cel dissolute life, especially after his visit to lini, 1883, p. 201) , and he did medals of Venice and his association with Francesco Alessandro and of Clement VII (Giulio de Castris, a musician; Galluzzi refers de' Medici), but not in wax (ibid. ig8-g, to Ferdinando's 'libertinaggio' (Istoria, iv.201 , 326-8) . Galluzzi's Istoria is illustrated 262) without dwelling on his amours with engravings of the seven Medici grand (ibid. iv. 269-70, 287-90; see Harold Ac dukes from their medals (thus probably ton, The Last Medici, ig32, pp. 175-6, 180, arousing HW's interest) . 186, 228 for fuller details). Giovanni 34. The Electress Palatine Dowager, sis Gastone, his brother, led a dissolute life ter of John Gastone, the last Great Duke with his ruspanti (see ante i. 273, n. 23), of the House of Medici, who she sur but Galluzzi mentions them very briefly vived, returned to Florence on her hus (op. cit. v. 112). band's death, and died there (HW) . 31. Francesco I de' Medici was absorbed 35. HW's notes to this letter are out in chemical experiments, and introduced of order and at the end he writes, 'These into Tuscany the manufacture of porce notes are misplaced.' lain which in ten years achieved 'the lightness, thinness, and transparency of 1. Pietro Pozzolini, who had arrived 2 that of the Indies'; Francesco 'occupied Dec. in England as courier, with dis himself in making vases with his own patches (ante 20 Nov. 1781). hands' (Galluzzi, op. cit. ii. 222). .

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