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

To Madam Desloges. LETTER L.

MAdam, I am alwayes of your minde; and like not Ladies that would be Cavaliers. There are certain bounds that part us, and ma•…•… us out our several duties and conditions: which neither you nor we can lawfully passe. And the lawes of Decencie are so ancient, that they seem

to be a part of the ancient religion. Moses hath extended the commandements of God, even to the distinction of your apparell, and ours: and you know hee expresly forbids to disguise our selves in one anothers cloathes. Women must be altogether women: the vertues of our sex, are not the vertues of theirs; and the more they seeke to imitate men, the more they de∣generate from their owne kinde. We have had some women amongst us, that would ride Spa∣nish horses would discharge Pistols, and would be parties in maintaining quarrels. M. the Mar∣shall Scomberg shewed mee once a letter which he writ to a Gentleman of—at the end whereof were these words; I kisse the hands of this valiant and pleasing Lady, that is your se∣cond in the day, and your wife at night. This La∣dy might perhaps bee valiant, but to my hu∣mour, she could not be pleasing. If she had had abeard, she could not have had a greater fault. Women that are valiant, are as much to blame, as men that are cowards. And it is as unseemly for Ladies to weare swords by their sides, as for Gentlemen to have glasses hanging at their girdles. I professe my selfe an enemy, Madam, to these usurpations of one sex upon another. It strikes me with a kinde of horrour, when I reade in historie of the ancient women Fen∣cers, whom the Romanes beheld with such plea∣sure in their Amphitheater; and I account not Amazons in the number of women, but of Monsters and Prodigies. Sweetnesse and ten∣dernesse are the qualities that belong to you

and will your she Friend give over her claime to these, that is, to the succession of her mo∣ther, and the priviledges of her birth? will she not be as well content as you, with the partition which Nature herselfe hath made? I cannot conceive with what face she can goe a hunting amongst such violence & tumults, and how she can run hallowing all day, till shee bee out of breath, after a kennell of Hounds, and a troope of Huntesmen. God made her for the Closet, and not for the Field: and in truth, it is a great sin to distend so handsome a mouth, and to disfigure so comely a face, with blow∣ing a horne. To expose such excellent things to all the boughes of the Forrest, and to all the injuries of the weather; and to endanger such pretious colours with winde and raine, with the sunne and dust. And yet, Madam, to see hunting, without being a partie, to goe in Coach, and in Parkes inclosed, where a multi∣tude of beasts are kept prisoners, and come to dye at Ladies feet, such a recreation as this, I doe not condemne, being onely entertained with the eyes, and may passe either for a spe∣ctacle, or a walke; and is as farre from agita∣tion as from rest. But this serves not her turne, she calles these but lazie and sedentarie recrea∣tions, and takes no pleasure, but when it is with hazard of her life. But what would be thought Madam, if one should come and tell you, shee is slaine with a fall, by ranke riding, or that shee hath met with a wilde Boare, that was too hard for her? In such cases, ther•…•… would not

onely be no excuse for her death, but it would bee a blot upon her memory for ever: and to save her honour, there must bee feigned some other accident in her Epitaph. As for that o∣ther discoursing Lady you complaine of, and whom I know, she commits not, in truth, such extravagant faults as this doth; yet shee hath her faults too: and I can no more allow of wo∣men to bee Doctors, than of women to bee Cavaliers. She should take you for a pateme, and make profit of the good example you give. You know indeed, an infinite number of excellent things; but you make no open profession of your knowledge, as shee doth, and you shew, you have not learned them to keepe a schoole. You speake to her, when shee preacheth to you, and making po∣pular answeres to her riddles, and giving di∣stinction to her confusion: you doe her at least, this good office, to expound her to her selfe. Neither in the tune of your voyce, nor in the manner of your expressing, is any thing seen in you, but that which is naturall and French: and although your spirit bee of an extreame high clevation, and farre above the ordinarie reach, yet you so accomodate it to the capaci∣tie of all that heare you, that whilest the mea∣ner sort doe understand you, the more able spirits doe admire you. It is a great matter, Madam, to have gotten the knowledge of such excellent things: but it is a greater matter so to hide them, as if they were stollen, and to call them, as you doe, by the name of your se∣cret

Truanting•…•…, Your Canvas, your Silke, your Needles, are seene, but your papers are not seene; and those women that are taken with men that are not their husbands, are not more surprized than you are, when you are found to have an Authour in your hand, that is not French. I know therefore, Madam, you cannot approve of one so contrarie to your selfe, how fairc•…•… shew soever you make, nor will ever change the plainnesse of your words, for her learned gyb•…•…sh. Pedanterie is not sufferable in a Master of Art, how should it be borne withall in a woman? And what pati∣euce: can endure to heare one talke a whole day together, Metamorphosis and Philosophiet to mingle the Id•…•…s of Plato, and the Praedi∣cables of Perphinic together; to make no com∣plyment, that hath not in it; a dozen Hori∣zons and Hemispheares and at last, when shee hath no more to say, then to raile upon mee in Greeke, and •…•…cuseme me of Hyperbole, and Ca∣•…•…eale. These be h•…•…rdevises, she will have, in two verses, at least foure full points, she hath 〈◊〉〈◊〉 designe to set on foot, and bring into use a∣gaine, the Strophes and Antistrophes, she gives Rules both of Epick and Dramatick •…•…esie, and sayth, she cannot endure a Comedic, that is not within the law of foure and twentie ho•…•…es: and this shee is going about to publish through all France. If I had a mortall ene∣mie, I would desire no greater revenge of him, than to wish him such a wife. Nothing hath more confirmed not in my desire of solitude,

than the example of this Ladie: and I see plain∣ly, that a single life is the best thing in the world, seeing it lies in covert, and is free from the cumber of this talking Ladie. I ex∣pect by this bearer the Essayes you promised mee, and am

Madam

Your, &c.

At Balzac, 20. Septemb. 1628.