not seen her near.  There is a grotesco who jumps cleverly, but cannot write as I do—­just as pigs grunt.  The orchestra is tolerable.  In Cremona, the orchestra is good, and Spagnoletta is the name of the first violinist there.  Prima donna very passable —­rather ancient, I fancy, and as ugly as sin.  She does not sing as well as she acts, and is the wife of a violin-player at the opera.  Her name is Masci.  The opera was the “Clemenza di Tito.”  Seconda donna not ugly on the stage, young, but nothing superior.  Primo uomo, un musico, Cicognani, a fine voice, and a beautiful cantabile.  The other two musici young and passable.  The tenor’s name is non lo so [I don’t know what].  He has a pleasing exterior, and resembles Le Roi at Vienna.  Ballerino primo good, but an ugly dog.  There was a ballerina who danced far from badly, and, what is a capo d’opera, she is anything but plain, either on the stage or off it.  The rest were the usual average.  I cannot write much about the Milan opera, for we did not go there, but we heard that it was not successful.  Primo uomo, Aprile, who sings well, and has a fine even voice; we heard him at a grand church festival.  Madame Piccinelli, from Paris, who sang at one of our concerts, acts at the opera.  Herr Pick, who danced at Vienna, is now dancing here.  The opera is “Didone abbandonata,” but it is not to be given much longer.  Signor Piccini, who is writing the next opera, is here.  I am told that the title is to be “Cesare in Egitto.”

Wolfgang de Mozart,

Noble of Hohenthal and attached to the Exchequer.

4.

Milan, Feb. 10, 1770.

Speak of the wolf, and you see his ears!  I am quite well, and impatiently expecting an answer from you.  I kiss mamma’s hand, and send you a little note and a little kiss; and remain, as before, your——­What?  Your aforesaid merry-andrew brother, Wolfgang in Germany, Amadeo in Italy.

De MORZANTINI.

5.

Milan, Feb. 17, 1770.

Now I am in for it!  My Mariandel!  I am so glad that you were so tremendously merry.  Say to nurse Urserl that I still think I sent back all her songs, but if, engrossed by high and mighty thoughts of Italy, I carried one off with me, I shall not fail, if I find it, to enclose it in one of my letters.  Addio, my children, farewell!  I kiss mamma’s hands a thousand times, and send you a thousand kisses and salutes on your queer monkey face.  Per fare il fine, I am yours, &c.

6.

Milan, Carnival, Erchtag.

Many kisses to mamma and to you.  I am fairly crazed with so much business, [Footnote:  Concerts and compositions of every kind occupied Mozart.  The principal result of his stay in Milan was, that the young maestro got the scrittura of an opera for the ensuing season.  As the libretto was to be sent to them, they could first make a journey through Italy with easy minds.  The opera was “Mitridate, Re di Ponto.”] so I can’t possibly write any more.