MORTON COURT.
May 3 /[18]94.
Dearest Gracie*1 Mater and I + Dicky*2 and Esther came here yesterday to spend a few days (till next Tuesday) with Mrs Berney. There is no one here and as it is raining today[.] I have no further news than that the country is very beautiful. I have two letters to thank you for: the first interested me very much, but I was so busy at the time that I could not answer it as I should have liked to. As to the things that you have seen hitherto, I am so glad to find that they give you so much pleasure and profit. You will indeed come back with enlarged ideas and food for many a long year of pleasant memories. I am especially glad that you can see some thing of Italian life, of which I know nothing. Of course you cannot get into intimate friendship or friendship proper with an Italian family, that I am told by every one is impossible for a foreigner of any country, and those who have got nearest into the family life have recoiled from its utter ignorance, listlessness and frivolity. The condition of the country too is most unsatisfactory, it has not developed along the line that it was hoped that Liberty should have indicated. In fact many parts were more prosperous in the days of French and Austrian rule, hateful as they were. Corruption of all kinds in Municipal and Imperial matters seems to be the rule. Mater is writing to you about the cheques: that you could have had the drawing of them, as you will see, under the circumstances was impossible.

You are quite right to avail yourself of the opportunity of going to Siena, a most curious place. Its position, the great plain of burnt Sienna is very remarkable, and the grand pictures in the town hall and Cathedral will interest you greatly. but I am ashamed to say that I forget the subject I well remember the St Christopher with Christ on his back, and one most beautiful (Signorelli?) in the Cathedral, but I am ashamed to say that I forget the subject, much as it impressed me at the time. On your way to Venice you may stop at Bologna where there is not much to see that will take you long. I do envy you going to Ravenna, which is in many respects the most curious place in Europe. Pray look closely at the Pine forest and tell me what you may see. It was in a great measure [illegible word crossed through] destroyed? just before I visited it but many fine trees were standing. I have heard since that a vast area of it is now under rice cultivation. You will write to me I hope from Venice. I hope you will thread the streets there and not confine yourself to Gondolas. If you have a chance do not fail to see Torcello outside the Lagoons. You will then feel yourself carried back to early Christian times, even more than in Ravenna. We leave this on Tuesday, when I dine at "the Club", and go back to the Camp on Wednesday. Tomorrow we go to Norwich to show Dicky*2 the Cathedral and Museum. The Window is finished as today I believe. It looks well. For the rest, as to your movements, I feel sure that you will act for the best. I put full trust in you. You must see all you can within reasonable time and cost, but I shall be only too glad to see you back.-- Ever your affectionate father, | Jos.D.Hooker.