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own impulse - for I fear I may again commit a breach [[^or species of ill]] manners, which I reproach myself as being too apt to fall into, & [[^of]] which I am more anxious to correct myself than to apologize for, but as I have now raised your curiosity, by this long [[parley?]] the least I can do is to make my apology, that it is for [[si pieu de chose]] & naturally will bring to your mind the fable of the Mountain in labor but to begin I will tell you that I have the little project on my return to America to make a small exhibition of my own pictures & with that view I wish to remain here in order to provide myself with a couple more pictures to add to that of Marius - from the success of a foreign artist Mr Wertmeiller meet with in exhibiting a Picture of Danae in Phild'a a few years ago, as I am informed I have reason to form similar expectations, & I have been more encouraged to believe so from the opinions I have consulted of those last from America & I trust you may not think differently -- I am now engaged with copying a Picture in the gallery here, intended for that purpose, the one I have chosen is Antiope asleep with Cupid & Jupiter in the form of a Satyr you probably recollect the picture its size is about 5 feet some inches by 4 ft. In my opinion it is the best picture of Corrigeo's in the collection here