Nevv epistles of Mounsieur de Balzac. Translated out of French into English, by Sr. Richard Baker Knight. Being the second and third volumes

To the same another. LETTER. XXXIIII.

SIR, I am going to a place where in speak∣ing good of you I shall finde no contra∣diction, and where your vertue is so well knowne, that if I say nothing of it but what I know, I am sure I shall tell no newes. I bring along with me the last Letter you writ unto me, and meane to bee earnestly intreated by Mounsieur—before I yeeld to grant him a Coppy. As for Madam—shee should en∣tertaine an enemy upon this passeport, and though shee were resolved to give me no au∣dience, yet shee would never deny it to the reader of your writings. I know of what ac∣count you are in her heart, and how much I ought to feare least all the roome there be ta∣ken up before hand with your favour. Yet such opinion I have of her justice, that I wil∣lingly make her Arbitratour of our difference, and require her to tell whether she think I have done wrong to—in desiring him to give over his going to Law, and to passe the rest of his dayes in more quiet and sweet imploy∣ments. The art of jeasting, whereof I speake is no enemy to the art of morality whereof you speake, rather it is the most subtle and most antient way of retailing it; And that which would fright men, being used in the na∣turall

forme, delights and winnes them some∣times, being used under a more pleasing maske. A wisedome that is dry, and altogether raw, is it for the heart? it must have a little seaso∣ning, such a kind of sawce as Socrates was wont to make it; that Socrates I say whom all the Families of Philosophers account their Founder, and acknowledge for their Patri∣arch. The story sayes he never used to speake in earnest, and the age hee lived in called him the feoffer. In Platoes Booke you shall finde little else of him but jeasting; with disorder∣ly persons you shall see him counterfet a Lo∣ver, and a Drunkard, thereby to claw them whom he would take. He shunnes the stile of the Dogmatists, or to speake definitively of things, as thinking it an instrument of Tyran∣ny, and a yoake that oppresseth our libertie. In short he handles serious matters so little seri∣ously that hee seemes to thinke the shortest way to perswade was to please; and that ver∣tue had neede of delight, to make way for her into the soule. Since his time there have come men who contented not themselves with laughing, but make profession of nothing else, and have made it their recreation to play upon all the actions of humane life. Others have disguised themselves into Courtiers and Poets, and left their Dilemmaes and their Syllogismes to turne jcasters, and to get audience in privie Chambers. Wee see then the world had not alwayes beene sad before Ariosto and Bernia came into it, they were not the men that

brought it first to be merry; Ieasting is no new invention, it was the first trade that wise men used; who thereby made themselves sociable amongst the people. Theophrastus who succee∣ded Aristotle thought it no disparagemen•…•… to Philosophie, nor that there was in it any un∣comlinesse unfit for his schoole Lycaeum, he is excellent at descriptions, and counterfeitings, and his Characters are as so many Commedies, but that they bee not divided into Acts and Senes, and that they represent but onely one person. Seneca, as solemne and of as sullen hu∣mour as he was otherwise, yet once in his life would needs bee merry, and hath left us that admirable Apotheosis of Claudius, which if it were lost, I would with all my heart give one of his bookes de Beneficiis to recover againe; and a much greater ransome if it were possible to get it entire. No doubt but you have heard speake of the Caesars, of the Emperour Iulian; that is to say, of the sports of a severe man, and of the mirth of a melancholicke man, and from whence thinke you had the Menippaean Satyrs their names? Things so much estee∣med of by antiquity, and under which title the learned Varro comprised all wisedome divine and humane; even from Menippus the Philosopher, who was of a Sect so austere, and so great an enemie to vice, that Iustus lip∣sius doubts not to set it in comparison with the most strict and reformed order of the Church. I am much deceived but Madam—will not bee found so scrupulous as you, and not

give her voyce in favour of an opinion autho∣rised by so great examples. And indeede Sir, why should you not like that our friend should reserve some mirth and some plea∣sure for his old age? and having declaimed and disputed abroad all day, should come at night to have some merry talke in his owne lodging; why should you thinke it amisse, that after so many warres and cumbats I should counsaile him to refresh himselfe with a more easie and lesse violent kinde of writing; and to afford us such wares as may bee received as well at Rome as at Geneva? These thirty yeares he hath bin a Fencer upon Paper, & hath furnished all Europe with such spectacles; why should hee not now give over a quarrell that he is never able to compose? He may in my opinion honestly say, it is enough, and content himselfe to have outlived his old adversaries, without staying to looke for new. Having had to doe with Mounsieur Coeffeteau, and with Cardinall Perron; it would bee a shame for him to meddle now with a dizzy headed fa∣ther, or with the Anticke of Roan; and a poore ambition it would be in my judgement to erect Trophies of two such broken Bables; it were better hee left individualls and fell to judge of species in generall, and that he would consider other mens follies without partaking of them. It were better to discredit vice by scorne, then to give it reputation by invectives, and to laugh with successe, then to put himselfe in Choler without profit. Though there be ma∣ny

sorts of disciplining men, and correcting their manners; yet I for my part am for this sort, and finde nothing so excellent as a medi∣cine that pleases. Many men feare more the bitternesse of the potion that is given them, then the annoyance of the infirmitie that of∣fends them; we would faine goe to health by a way of pleasure, and he should bee a much abler man that could purge with Raspices, then he that should do it with Rhubarbe. Our Gen∣tleman by—his leave is none of these; for commonly hee neither instructs nor delights, he neither heales nor flatters their passions that reade him; hee hath neither inward treasure nor outward pompe; and yet I can tell you, as beggarly and wretched as hee is, hee hath beene robbed and ransacked in France. Hee could not save himselfe from our Theeves; and you may see some of his spoiles which I present you here.

My fidling Doctor in his visage various, Had twice as many hands as had Briareus; There was not any morsell in the dish Which he with eyes and fingers did not fish; And so forth.

You see wee live in a Country where even Beggars and Rogues cannot passe in safetie; though they have nothing to lose, yet they lose for all that, and men pull the hayres •…•…en from them that are bald. There is no condition so ill but is envied of some, no povertie so

great which leaves not place for injuries. Cot∣tages are pillaged as well as Pallaces; and though coverousnesse looke more after great gaines, yet it scornes not small. But all this while you must remember that my discourse is allegoricall, and that I speake of Poets and not of Treasures. I am

Sir,

Your, &c.

From Balzac, 25. Septemb. 1633.