To Madam de Villesavin. LETTER X.
MAdam, seeing it is my ill fortune, that I cannot finde you when I come to see you, I entreat you to let me speake to you by an In∣terpreter,
Nevv epistles of Mounsieur de Balzac. Translated out of French into English, by Sr. Richard Baker Knight. Being the second and third volumes
About this Item
- Title
- Nevv epistles of Mounsieur de Balzac. Translated out of French into English, by Sr. Richard Baker Knight. Being the second and third volumes
- Author
- Balzac, Jean-Louis Guez, seigneur de, 1597-1654.
- Publication
- London :: Printed by T. Cotes [and John Dawson] for Fra. Eglesfield, Iohn Crooke, and Rich. Serger, and are to be sold at the Gray-hound in Pauls Chuch-yard [sic],
- 1638.
- Rights/Permissions
-
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A02322.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"Nevv epistles of Mounsieur de Balzac. Translated out of French into English, by Sr. Richard Baker Knight. Being the second and third volumes." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A02322.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.
Pages
Page 18
and that I may make this benefit of my being so farre from Paris, to have a right of writing to you when I could not have the pow∣er of speaking with you. Indeed as long as you were taken up with entertaining your deare sonne, whom long absence had made as it were new unto you, and as long as you were tasting the first joyes which his returne had brought with it; It had been a great indiscretion in a stranger, to intrude himselfe into your private feast, & not give you the libertie to make choice of your Guests; but now, that your extasies of joy are over-passed, and that a more calme estate makes you sociable to others abroad: Now Ma∣dam, you may vouchsafe to accept my comple∣ment, and to heare me say, with my Countrey freedome, that you want much of that I wish you, if you want any thing of absolute felicitie. I make no doubt but Monsieur Bouthillier your sonne, as he parted from hence a right honest man, so he is returned hither an understanding man; and that to the lights which are given by Nature, he hath added those that are gotten by practise, and by conference. The ayre of Italie which is so powerfull in ripening of fruits, hath not been lesse favourable to the seeds of his spi∣rit, and having been at the spring-head of hu∣mane prudence, I assure my selfe, he hath drawn deepe of it, and hath filled his minde with so many new and sublime knowledges; that even his Father (if it were not for the great love he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 him) might not unjustly grow jealous at it. This Madam, is that happinesse I speake to
Page 19
you off, and which I have alwayes wished to you, and to which, there can nothing be added, but to see shortly so excellent an instrument set aworke, and so able a man employed in great affayres. When this shall be, I shall then see the successe of my ancient predictions, and of that I have long read in his very face; so that, you may well thinke, I shall take no distast at your con∣tentment, as well for the reputation of my skill in Physnomie and Prognosticating, as for that I perfectly am
Madam
Your, &c.
At Balzac 2. Octob. 1631.