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

Another to her. LETTER XLIIII.

MAdam, I am of your opinion, and can by no meanes approve the ambition of your fayre neighbour: her head is full of state and soveraigntie, and aymes certainly at a Crowne. God loves her too well to second her bad de∣sires, and to give her that shee askes: so rare a beautie ought to be the recompence of vertue, and not the prey of Greatnesse: It is fit, that he who possesseth her, should understand, when things be excellent, should know the value of this, and all his life be thankfull to his good for∣tune for it: it is fitter to make a Gentleman hap∣pie, than to give contentment to a tyrant; fhee might perhaps be some amusement to him, when he were cloyed with killing of men; but withall, shee might be sure to be the next ob∣ject of his crueltie, at the next fit of his wicked humour. You know the Story of Mariamne; our Theaters at this day sound forth nothing so much, as the cryes of this poore Princesse: hee that put her to death, loved her above mea∣sure, and after her death, kneeled downe a thousand times before her image, praying her to forgive him. Poppea was first the Mistris, afterwards the wife, and alwayes the Gover∣nesse of Nero; shee had vanquished this Mon∣ster, and made him tame, yet at last he slipt from

her, and in an instant of his choler, gave her a kicke upon the belly, which was her death. His unkle Caius dealt not so roughly with Cae∣sonia, yet in the greatest heat of his fire, he made love to her in these termes: This fayre head shall be chopt off, as soone as I but speake the word: and told her sometimes, that he had a greater minde to put her on the racke, to make her tell him, why he loved her so much. The meaning Madam, of all this is, that the tamest of all Tygers is a cruell Beast, and that it is a most dangerous thing, to be woo•…•…d with talons. I have seene the Booke you write to me of, and finde it not unpleasing; particularly, where speaking of the makers of Pasquius, and of sa•…•… tyricall Poets, he sayth, that besides the golden age, the age of silver, of brasse, and of iron, so famous and so much talkt of in their Fables, there is yet behinde to come an age of wood, of which the ancient Poets never dreamt; and in the miseries and calamities whereof, they themselves shall have a greater part than any other. If I goe abroad to morrow, I hope to have the honour to see you: In the meane time, that I may observe good manners, and not be wanting in formalities, I will say I am

Madam,

Your, &c.

At Balzae, 16. Aug. 1627.