on the coast of Solenzara. All appearances make us
believe, that he is come with designs contrary to the publick quiet. He
has however surrendered himself a prisoner at the castle, and protests
his repentance. As I passed by Bogognano, I learnt that a disbanded
Genoese officer was seeking associates to assassinate me. He could not
succeed, and finding that he was discovered, he betook himself to the
woods; where he has been slain by the party detached by the magistrates
of the provinces on the other side of the mountains, in order to
intercept him. These ambuscades do not seem to be good preliminaries
towards our accommodation with the republick of Genoa. I am now holding
the syndicato in this province of Nebbio. About the 10th of next month,
I shall go, for the same object, into the province of Capo Corso, and
during the month of February, I shall probably fix my residence in
Balagna. I shall return to Corte in the spring, to prepare myself for
the opening of the General Consulta.[157] Wherever I am, your friendship
will be present to my mind, and I shall be desirous to continue a
correspondence with you. Meanwhile believe me to be

"Your most affectionate friend

"PASCAL PAOLI."

"PATRIMONIO, 28 December, 1765."

[Footnote 155: By Corsican velvet he means the coarse stuff made in the
island, which is all that the Corsicans have in stead of the fine velvet
of Genoa.]

[Footnote 156: Abbatucci, a Corsican of a very suspicious character.]

[Footnote 157: The Parliament of the nation.--ED.]

Can any thing be more condescending, and at the same time shew more the
firmness of an heroick mind, than this letter? With what a gallant
pleasantry does the Corsican Chief talk of his enemies! One would think
that the Queens of Genoa should become Rival Queens for Paoli. If they
saw him I am sure they would.

I take the liberty to repeat an observation made to me by that
illustrious minister,[158] whom Paoli calls the Pericles of Great
Britain. It may be said of Paoli, as the Cardinal de Retz said of the
great Montrose, "C'est un de ces hommes qu'on ne trouve plus que dans
les Vies de Plutarque. He is one of those men who are no longer to be
found but in the lives of Plutarch."

[Footnote 158: The Earl of Chatham. It appears from a letter published
in the correspondence of the Earl of Chatham (vol. ii., p. 388) that
Boswell had an interview granted him by Pitt. Boswell writes:--"I have
had the honour to receive your most