--TO MR. WYTHE, September 16,1787
TO MR. WYTHE.
Paris, September 16,1787.
Dear Sir,
I am now to acknowledge the receipt of your favors of December the 13th
and 22nd, 1786, and of January, 1787. These should not have been so
long unanswered, but that they arrived during my absence on a journey of
between three and four months, through the southern parts of France and
northern of Italy. In the latter country, my time allowed me to go no
further than Turin, Milan, and Genoa: consequently, I scarcely got
into classical ground. I took with me some of the writings, in which
endeavors have been made to investigate the passage of Annibal over the
Alps, and was just able to satisfy myself, from a view of the
country, that the descriptions given of his march are not sufficiently
particular, to enable us, at this day, even to guess at his track across
the Alps. In architecture, painting, sculpture, I found much amusement:
but more than all, in their agriculture, many objects of which might be
adopted with us to great advantage. I am persuaded, there are many parts
of our lower country where the olive tree might be raised, which is
assuredly the richest gift of Heaven.
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