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.

LETTER I.

Floricia,

FOR God's sake, let's once shake off this darke colour, or if we must needs be in mourning let it be for your absence. I received your excuses before you sent them, and you cannot but think me reallie satisfied you were not in any fault, since I had the confidence to accuse you▪ I have taken more paines then you would have done your self, to finde out what might be said in your defence; and to be in∣genious with you, I made your cause so much my own, and thought my selfe obliged to be so tender of your innocence, that I durst not omit any thing that might maintain it. For, had you been found guilrie, I should first have suffered for it, nor indeed had any been so cruellie punished as my self. But all this omitted, I have a greater opinion of my own fortune and your courage then to doubt that either of them should fall so low. It is unworthie both you and me, to fear that an affe∣ction so well cemented should by any casualtie be dissolved:

nay it is a crime in us but to imagine such a thing possible. If but one of those two Gentlemen, with whose conversation I re∣proached you, had staid till day in your Chamber, I should think you could no lesse then take a whole night to fall out with him for it; nay though I should have seen him in your embraces, I think I should have taken you for another, or that you had mi∣staken him for me. In a word, I should rather distrust the fidelitie of my own eyes then your faith, and am more easilie perswaded I may be deceived in them then in you. No, your entertainment of those two men shall never finde my thoughts any businesse, nay though they had spent an Age with you, I should not believe you had bestowed one quarter of an hour with them. But I pray let me know, when you had dismissed the former, did you stay alone with the other, or did your woman come immediatelie into your Chamber? Did they upon their departure from you undertake that journey with as much satis∣faction as at other times? Do you still feed them with those faire hopes, wherein onelie I esteem them more rich, then if they possessed all the World besides? I am somewhat curious as to these particulars, out of a confidence that I cannot but be much pleased with them, and no doubt but I should be rather satisfied then any way disturbed at that interview, were I but fully informed thereof. But, in the mean time, they saw you, while I was at a distance of thirtie Leagues from you, nay at the same time that I was alone in my Chamber bemoaning your absence, they were in yours and heard you discourse. Nay it may be they saw you laugh, and that you gave one of them occasion to fall into some pleasant dreames that night. Ah Floricia! what a treacherous passion is jealousie, and how easilie she insinuates her selfe into us, while our Reason is a∣sleep! I know that your past errours oblige you to verie de∣plorable consequences, and that you are forced to manie actions against your own inclinations and mine, to avoid running the hazard of one thing which you think verie deare. But if you knew how much I am cast down at it, and how heavie these con∣siderations lie upon me, it may be, that another time you will hazard any thing rather then my life; and yet you reproach me with a negligence that I did not send you my picture soone enough. But I pray, was it your desire I should have come and made a third with the other two? or could you have wished

me present to be an eye-witnesse of the entertainment you gave them? This is so irrational, that my verie picture would not have suffered it, for it would have been no lesse then to put me to death in effigie. Adde to that, I should have felt something of it hence, and, no question, have fallen into some languish∣ing disease, not unlike those who are killed at the distance of a hundred leagues, onelie by pricking their images. But though there were no such thing to be feared, yet should you not desire the sight of my picture, especiallie in the condition the first daies of your absence had put me into. All the Art of painting could not have afforded colours ill enough to represent that which sadnesse had cloathed me in; nor indeed can I see any likeli∣hood that a man half dead should be drawn to the life. You would have found me quite another person, then what you had seen so pleasant in your companie. If I had ben well drawn you would not have known me, for I hardlie knew my self, and might hardlie passe for an ill coppie of what I was a while since. But I hope that after some short time you will finde me more cheerful and more divertible, for I begin to cleer up my coun∣tenance, and if the Painter do but his dutie, you shall discover in the Piece a certain hope, that it shall not be long ere you may expect my attendance to second that of my P••cture. Do you therefore prepare your self to entertaine me with more freedom, and if you are yet at your own disposal, let not the recommen∣dations of the witty Gentlewoman hinder you. I sent her not my humblest services, but onelie returned those I had received from her by three several persons; and I should no have pre∣sumed to do it, had I not been afraid to offend you by retain∣ing any thing of hers. Besides, you would soone have beene informed, whether I had not made a conscience to be importu∣nate to you for a quarter of an hour by so unwelcome a refl••∣ction as that. The same consideration which prevailed with you, not to acquaint me with the newes I have otherwise learnt, made me stif••e this. But since we know all one of another, and that the bad angel, which keeps us asunder will needs dis∣cover all those actions of ours which may any way give offence, I beseech you let us elude his malice, and so prevent him in this, that knowing all things by a mutual communication, they may put on quite another face; and for my part, I professe to you, I shall never be guiltie of any thing, which in any likelihood

may give you offence, whereof I shall not presentlie make my confession to you. Be you pleased to make me the same pro∣mise, and withal, let me know whence you came to understand that I had sent recommendations to any one, and by what means you have discovered that, wherebie I came to the newes whereof I have made my complaint to you: for, to be free with you, I am extreamlie troubled at it, and for my part, I can think no otherwise then that you have some Genius about me, who acquaints you with what is done. But since he tells you all, aske him whether I love you, as also, how often in a day I sigh for you.