METASTASIO, Pietro (1698–1782).

A beautiful and rare letter to the poet-count. [Count Giovanni Francesco FATTIBONI (Cesena 1736–Loreto 1802), poet and librettist, had published two volumes of *Opere drammatiche* in 1777.] Metastasio thanks him for sending the two volumes of his dramatic works, which took six months to reach him… He congratulates the Count on his great progress in his poetic works, owing to his tireless dedication and the masterful command he has acquired of the true language of Parnassus, which has succeeded in combining nobility and harmony with ease and clarity, in such a way that envy finds no fault to criticise. He has already managed to read through a good portion of the two volumes, which he will resume at a more leisurely pace as long as his advanced age allows him the time: ‘I sincerely congratulate him on the many visible gains that his tireless application has yielded in his poetic ability, but especially on the masterful command he has acquired of that true language of Parnassus, which combines nobility and harmony with ease and clarity in such a manner that envy finds no fault to criticise. Having already read a good part of the two volumes of which Your Excellency has made me the owner, though with that disorder which is ever the companion of hasty curiosity: I shall certainly renew the pleasure of this reading, but with that leisure now demanded of me by my grave and treacherous age, which is imperceptibly diminishing all my physical activities, and particularly those of reading and writing’…