Letters of Mounsieur de Balzac. Translated out of French into English. Now collected into one volume, with a methodicall table of all the letters. 1. 2. 3. and 4th parts. By Sr Richard Baker Knight, and others.
Balzac, Jean-Louis Guez, seigneur de, 1595-1654.

To Monsieur de Piles Cleremont. LETTER XXXII

SIR, having heard of the favourable words you used of me at the Court, I cannot any longer forbeare to give you thanks, nor stay till our next meeting from telling you how highly I esteem this favour. I cannot but confess, I did not look to finde so great a graciousness in the country of maliciousness; and seeing, that the greatest part, even of honest men, have so much love for themselves, that they have but little, or none left for strangers: I thought with my selfe, that the infection of the world might have lightly touched you, and that either you had no passions in you at all, on at least, but very coole and moderate: but I see now, that you have more generousness in you than is sit to have amongst men that are interessed, and that you put in practise the Maximes of our Ancestors, and the Rules of your Epictetus. It is I that am for this, ex∣ceedingly bound unto you, seeing it is I that receive the benefit of it, & that am the Object of your vertue. You may then believe, I have not so unworthy a heart, as not to feel a resentment answerable to so great an Obligation; at least Sir, I hope to shew you, that the Picture mine ene∣mies Page  117 have made of me, is not drawn after the life, and that their colours disfigure me rather than represent me. I have nothing in me heroicall & great, I confess, but I have something that is humane and indifferent. If I be not of the number of the vertuous; I am at least of their side. I ap∣plaud them whom I cannot follow, and admire that I cannot imitate. I am glad if I can be praised, not onely of the judicious and wise, such as you, and our Monsieur de Boissat are, but even of the simpler sort, that are honestly minded, such as — I know Sir, how to love in perfection, and when you shall know me better, you shall confess there is none that can be more than I,

At Paris,2 April 1635.

Your, &c.