Letters of affaires love and courtship. Written to several persons of honour and quality; / by the exquisite pen of Monsieur de Voiture, a member of the famous French Academy established at Paris by Cardinall de Richelieu. English'd by J.D.

To my Lord Marshal de Grammont upon his Fathers death. LETTER CLIX.

My LORD.

THere hath happen'd a strange thing about the cause of your affliction, in that being a person that hath as heartie friends as any man, I have not met with any that bemoan'd you, and that the most considerable part of France, having concerned themselves so much in the reputation you have latelie gain'd, there's not any will interesse themselves in your misfortune. I know not what account they will give for it, nor what excuse they can alledge that they have so little compassion for you. For my part, my Lord, who am acquainted with your verie soul, and know how exactlie you discharge all the duties of friend∣ship, I am satisfi'd, that you are extreamlie troubled, and know∣ing how good a Brother, Kinsman, and Friend you are, I am confident you are as good a Son; and that, having lost a Fa∣ther, who hath been regretted even by those who knew him not, your affliction must needs be extraordinarie. This is the more commendable in you, by how much men in these times

are little troubled with such resentments. This tendernesse of soul is as much to be celebrated, as the constancie you have ex∣press'd in the greatest hazards, and that in an age which affords so few examples of good Nature you are cast down for a losse which makes you one of the richest men in France. This cer∣tainly deserves admiration, and indeed darkens all your At∣cheivements. But as even the best things are not free from ex∣cesse, so your grief which hitherto hath been just, were not such should it continue any longer. It were an indecorum for a man whom France looks on as one of its Heroes, to afflict himself as other men; and it were not to have a sufficient esteem of Vertue and Renown, to persist in landnesse in a time when you do such glorious actions, and receive the acclamations of all the World. I have heard the Queen loud and open in your praises; wherein also a person much in her esteem was no lesse liberal; your reputation encreases daily, and your wealth is never the lesse. For they say that in mony and poultry you will be hence∣forth thought very considerable. If with all this you cannot be satisfied, there's a friend of mine will have much more rea∣son then ever to cry out — The truth is, my Lord, it were too much, and I should have something to quarrel at my self, though otherwise I cannot disapprove any thing you do, as being most passionately, nay implicitely

My Lord

Your, &c.