Another to him. LETTER XL.

SIR, I love you better than I thought, since you parted from hence, I have had a number of Alarums for you: and though I stand in convert yet that keepes mee not from the foule weather of your voyage. But I hope by this time you are upon returning; and that shortly, we shall sit by the fires side, and heare you tell your adventures of Beausse, and of Mantelan. Whatsoever Mounsieur de—have said unto you, when you tooke leave of him; I doe not thinke, that in all the whole Discourse, there can one passage be found, that is subject to any badde interpretation: if it be considered as a member depending upon the body, and not as a piece that is broken off. There may perhappes be found some propositi∣on, a little bold, but never to goe so farre as rashnesse: the Antecedents and the Conse∣quents so temper it, that if a man will not be too witty in another mans intentions, hee can never make any doubt of mine. It was never intended, you know, but onely to prove a Monarchie to be the best forme of governe∣ment, and the Catholike Church to be the onely Spouse of Christ, Neither yet doe I write so negligently, but that I am ready to give a reason of that I write; and am able to Page  234 defend my opinions against those particular persons that oppugne them; for as for the so∣veraigne authority, you can witnesse for me with what humility I submit my selfe unto it. The day after your departure Mounsieur de——came to Balzac, whom I kept with me three whole dayes; I never saw man lesse in∣teressed, lesse ambitions, lesse dazeled with the splendour of the Court; and to speake gene∣rally, better cured of all popular disea∣ses. By this I come to know the noblenesse, and even the soveraigntie of reason, when it is well schooled and instructed, we neede not mount up to heaven to finde cause of scorne in the littlenesse of the earth, the study of wise∣dome will teach it as well: A wise man counts all things to bee below him; Pallaces to him appeare but Cottages, and Scepters but baubles, it pitties him to see that which is called the greatnesse and fortune of Princes, and from the heighth of his spirit,

I have at last found the Letter you required of me, which I now send you by this Post; our good father hath taken a coppie of it, and saith it is fit to be kept for an eternall monument in our house; and addes moreover that Erasmus never had so much honour done him by the Sorbone, which instead of condemning my Page  235 divinitie hath given a faire testimony in praise of my eloquence; for so hee pleaseth to call the little ability I have in writing; for it is his cu∣stome to make choyce of very noble termes for expressing of very vulgar qualities. For your selfe Sir, you know it very well, and I intreate you to advertise our other friends that know it not, that all this testimony and all this honour that is done me, is happened to mee by a meare mistaking. I had satisfied the desire of the Sor∣bone long before it, if I had understood they desired any satisfaction from me; but two Edi∣tions of my booke comming forth at one time, my charitable neighbours in my absence deli∣vered the Sorbone the lesse corrected Copy, in which indeede my proposition was not so fully cleared & unfoulded as was fit, but never told them that in the other Copy I had cleane taken away all colour of wrangling, and justi∣fied before hand, that wherein I imagined they could finde any thing to say against mee; I expect to heare by the next messenger of your comming to Paris, and am with all my heart,