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SIR, say what you can, I am not so indul∣gent to my passion as you are injurious to your owne merits. Amongst all your good qualities, you have one that seemes an enemy to all the rest, detraction doth you more ju∣stice then you doe your selfe, and envie it selfe
gives you that which your owne modesty takes away from you. This is not to handle the truth civilly, to respect her then when shee embraceth you? This is to render her evill for good, to call her fabulous, when shee calls you vertuous. I finde in this Sir more scruple then Religion: The first and most antient cha∣ritie is thereby broken, and you are faultie in the first principle of your dutie; if before do∣ing justice to all the world, you deny to doe it to your selfe alone. It must bee a great pre∣cisenesse of conscience that shall finde in you the evills you accuse your selfe of, and a sight more cleare then mine that shall see defaults in the course of your life. If you have any that are surely immateriall, and such as fall not un∣der sence. They come not within the know∣ledge of any; It must bee a secret betweene your confessour and you. None is knowne Sir, at least not knowne to be revealed, and if any were so knowne, it would rather be found a proofe of humilitie then a marke of imper∣fection. I am none therefore, as you say I am, of these charitable lyars, who attribute to them they love all that they want, nor of these forgers of commonwealths, who carry their imagination beyond all possibilitie of things; I present not unto you an Idea to make you better then you are, but taking you into considerati∣on I propose you as my example to stirre me up to goodnesse; I draw your picture for my owne use and not for your glory; I intend more the instructing my selfe then the pratling with
you. The object of so elevated a vertue fills my minde with great desires, and if it astonish me sometimes with its heighth, it makes mee at least see by experience, that an inferiour ver∣tue is possible to be acquired; so that to say true, I studie you more then I praise you, and am in this more swayed with interest then with passion: I meane this passion without eyes, that riseth onely from the animall part, for as for that which is reasonable and works with knowledge I have that for you in the highest degree, and by all kinds of obligations and of duties am
Sir,
Your, &c.
At Balzac. 6. Febru. 1634.