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

To Mounsieur de Gues. LETTER L.

SIR, my most deare Father, you have ob∣liged me exceedingly unto you; for impar∣ting unto me the good newes that is come, and for communicating with me, the joy you take, in the happy successe of the Kings Army. I doe not thinke he hath a better subject in all his kingdome, then your selfe; never servant was more zealous for his Masters greatnesse; never Persian more religiously adored Monar∣chy. You love your children, I know infinite∣ly, yet this is but your second love; that of the State, and of the Publicke, goes farre before it, and I feare me, you would give us all for the poorest Frontier Towne of Flanders, or for any paltry Fort of Millan. That which I read in the Postscript of your Letter, did not so ve∣ry well please me, the good opinion, which Mounsieur de—hath of me, is more a burthen to me, then an honour: and I could wish, he would make lesse reckoning of me, so he would let me be more at quiet. You have a strange friend of him; to take me for his com∣mon places, and to thinke that I am an Index. for finding out conceits and figures. In the mat∣ter, you propounded to me on his behalfe; I can say no more then what I have said already,

but if he please to take the paines to Translatē my French into Latine, he may easily doe it in such sort, that he shall be taken for the Author, and I but for the Translatour. I have told you, of the Dignity of the Language, in which he meanes to write, and what great advantage it hath over ours; it is certaine, that it elevates and raiseth up the low thoughts of the Au∣thours; and gives much more to them, then it receives from them. Whereas ours contrari∣wise, hath no beauty, but as the Authours em∣bellish it and set it out; It hath no subsistence: but by the matter, no force, but from the sub∣jects that are handled. I have made choice of some, which I thought fittest for his purpose; if he finde them for his turne, hee may make use of them: and better them much, by putting them into Ciceroes stile and phrase: and these are they. Good men ought to desire great Dig∣nities, as a necessary meanes to performe great atchievements; which if they performe not; both God will call them to account, for his graces, no better employed, and the world will justly complaine, it is left a prey to the wicked; and that the desire of their owne private quiet, makes them abandon all care of the publike. This is to tell you my Lord, that you ought to reserve your humility, for actions that passe be∣tweene God and you; but that for other mat∣ters, you cannot have too much credit, nor too much greatnesse, seeing it is fit that wisedome should be obeyed, and that there are some ver∣tues which cannot be acted by those that are

poore, &c. Though we be not so out of the world, but that we heare newes of it; yet it passeth through so many places, that it cannot chuse but receive divers impressions; and can never come to us in purity, seeing it gathers •…•…dde, in comming but from the Louure. Yet I have come to know, and fame hath sounded in our desart, the great battles that have beene fought for the honour of Fance, and how you have vanquished the spirits of strangers; which is a greater victory, then to vanquish their for∣ces. I have come to know, that Italy hath rigged up all subtilties, and imployed them to deceive us, and yet could not, and that these Spirits which thought to raigne in all assemblies, and to be the Masters of reason, have not beene a∣ble to defend themselves against you, but with spight and choller, Nor to complaine of any thing, but that you perswaded them to that, which they came resolved never to doe, so as they which called us Barbarians; and got al∣waies as much by their Treaties, as they lost by our Victories, have found at last, that there is wisdome on this side the Alpes, as well as be∣yond: and are driven to acknowledge, that we had a man amongst us now, able to hinder them from deceiving us as they had done. They wondred to see a servant, that could not endure there should be a greater Master then his owne, that felt the least evils of his Country, as if they were his proper wounds, and thought it a hurt to himselfe, if there were but an offer made, to touch the Dignity of this Crowne, but when

they saw that you: applyed remedies upon the suddaine, to all inconveniencies which they thought you could never have avoyded, that you not onely answered all objections they made, but prevented all they intended to make, that you dived into their soules, and tooke hold of their intentions there, and at the first con∣ference, made answer to that which they reser∣ved for the second, then in truth their fleame turned into choller, and then you quite rooted all their humane Prudence, and all their poli∣ticke Maximes, &c. I am not able to dissemble the joy I take, to heare that your good servi∣ces are acknowledged, that when divers coun∣sels had beene tryed, yet yours at last was still faine to be followed, and that in guiding the fortune of France, you are no lesse President of all affaires of Europe. It is true, that of all ex∣ternall contentments, I have none so sensible to me as this, but on the other side, when I heare that your health, is continually assaulted, or at least threatned by some accident or other; that the rest which the quietnes of your Conscience ought to afford you, keepes you not from ha∣ving unquiet Nights, and that in the midst of all your glory, and good successes, yet you of∣tentimes are as it were weary of your life, then in deede, &c. And can it not be, that you should come to heare the publicke acclamations, but in the unquietnesse of your watchings? nor of your praises, but in your paines: Must the Sense suffer, and the Spirit rejoyce? Must you be up∣on the Rocke, when you are in your Triumphs?

Must you doe two contrary workes at once, and at the same time, have neede both of mo∣deration, and of Patience: if vertue could be miserable, and that the sect which accounts no∣thing evill but paine, nothing good but pleasure, were not universally condemned. Certainely the divine Providence, would at this day be complained upon, by all places of this King∣dome: and all honest men, would in your be∣halfe finde something amisse, in the worlds go∣vernement. But my Lord, you know better then I, that it is the happinesse of beasts onely, of which we must beleeve the body, for as for ours, which resides in our highest part, it is as little sensible of disorders that are below her, as they which are in Heaven are uncapable of of∣fences by stormes of the aire, or by vapours of the earth. And this being so, God forbid, that I should judge of your condition, by the state of your health; and not thinke him perfectly happy, whosoever is perfectly wise. Doe but imagine with your selfe, that you have made a division of the infirmities of humane nature, with other men, and then you shall finde the advantage is on your side, seeing there is in you, but a small portion of paine, for infinite passions and defects that are in others. Yet I cannot but thinke, that the tearme of your pa∣tience is neere expired, and that the time to come, is preparing contentments for you that are wholy pure, and wil make you young again after the time, as before the time you have made your selfe old. The King that hath need

of your long life makes no wishes in vaine, and heaven heares not the prayers of the enemies of our state. Wee know of no successour fit to undertake what you leave unfinished, and if it be true that our Armies are but the armes of your head, and that God hath chosen your counsaile for establishing the affaires of this age; why should we feare a losse which hath no right to come but to our posteritie? he will not in this only point leave imperfect the hap∣pinesse he hath promised us; he loves men too well to deprive them of that good which you are borne to doe them. When Armies are de∣feated there may new be levied, and a second Fleet may be set forth when the first is lost; but if you my Lord should faile us, &c. It shall be in your time that people oppressed shall come from the worlds end to seeke the protection of this crowne; that by your meanes our Al∣lies shall bee well payed for their losses, that the Spanyards shall be no conquerours, but the Fronch shall be the f•…•…rs of all the earth. It shall be in your time that the holy seate shall have her opinions free; that the inspirations of the holy Ghost shall be no more oppugned by the cunning of our adversaries, and that there shall be raised up couragious hearts, worthy of the antient Italia, and able to defend the com∣mon cause. Finally my Lord it shall be by your wis•…•…dome that there shall be no more tyrannie in Christendome, nor rebellion in this king∣dome: That the people shall leave in their su∣periours hands both liberty and religion; and

that from this legall government, and from this perfect obedience there shal arise that hap∣pinesse which Polititians seeke for, and which is the end of all civill societies. My hope is that all these things shall come to passe tho∣rough your wise government, and that after you have made sure our peace and our neigh∣bours, you shall your selfe enjoy the benefit of your good deeds with pleasure and at your case, and shall see the state of things continue flourishing, whereof none but your selfe have beene the Author. I earnestly entreate you so to deale with Mounsieur de—that he may rest contented with this; and dispense with me for any new meditation which would re∣quire more leasure then I am like to have. This bearer will deliver you the History of Queene Elizabeth, which may serve you for a recrea∣tion till the end of the weeke, and then I shall come and aske your opinion, and desire you to give me some light of that time out, of the great experience you have of many things. I desire of God with all my heart that he will be pleased to afford you yet some great matter to exercise your selfe in, and that this wise old age of yours which wee so much admire may long continue to be a strength and ornament to your family. These are my earnest wishes, and withall, to make you by a perfect acknow∣ledgement of your favours, a perfect proofe that I am,

Sir, my deare Father,

Your, &c.

At Balzac, 7. Iune 1634.