I received two letters from you yesterday, and baue met with a great many more at Venice and Padoua. I intend not to come by Lions or Geneua; the way being too bad to crosse the Alpes ouer Mount Godard, Mount Sampion, or Mount Senis. I think it will not bee worth my staying much longer when I haue seen the practise in the hospitalls. The anatomy is done; it hath giuen mee great satisfaction, not in any thing that bath been said upon the parts, but in seeing the praparationspreparations, which was done so neatly, that I think I shall neuer see any thing like it againe. 'Twas young Marchetti that dissected; hee first learned this dexterity of Sr John Finch, a worthy gentleman, and of great esteem all ouer Italy, and one that in anatomy hath taken as much pains as most now liuing. Hee hath tables of the veines, nerues, and arteries, fiue times more exact then are described in any author. I am particularly obliged to him, hee doing mee the fauour of showing mee the receptaculum 92 DOMESTIC CORRESPONDENCE. [1665. chyliductus thoracicus, ductus Whartoni, and ductus Stenonis, in a dog, which wee got for the purpose. Hee is a great honourer of you, sir, which ·made him willing to doe me a kindnesse, though hee be nice in showing any thing in anatomy. My design as to my journey is to goe directly into Prouence, if the plague be ceaced there, and from thence, as I find opportunity, to Paris, by some way which I have not yet gone. I haue laide aside my thoughts of seeing Germany, chusing rather to be perfect in Italian and French then to understand Dutch also, and haue but a smattering of all three. I think I shall haue Mr. Trumbulls companye againe, at least some part of the way. There is heere an academy; those of it call themselves I recouerati; one made a speech about the last commet, which I read in print. Hee afirms that there was at first obserued a large parallax by obseruation from diuers places, but by some instances in his discourse I perceive he understands not the business, and names places where it was seen different five degrees, but in such a part of the heauen where tis impossible for it to bee seen, by obseruations made from such parts of the earth. But I hope some astronomer will write of it; the relation of it would bee mighty pleasing to mee, haueing made some obseruation of its motion my self at Rome. The best picture that euer I saw, and which I think goes beyond Michell Angelo's day of judgment, is in the refectory of the conuent of St Georges at Venice. 'Tis a marriage by Paul Veronese, upon a piece of cloth four times as big as your Icarus.