The prince vvritten in French by Mounsier Du Balzac ; now translated into English.

To my LORD the Cardinall of Richelieu.

My Lord,

BEing still detained here by some affaires which I cannot neg∣lect without loosing them; I suffer with much griefe so hard a necessity, and esteem my selfe as it were banished in my own Countrey, seeing I am so long separated from you. I deny not but the victorious and trium∣phant Newes, which comes daily to us from the Armie, gives mee some motion of Joy, and that I am very sensibly affected with the noise which your Name makes on

all sides. But my satisfaction can∣not be intire to learne from the re∣lations of another, those things whereof I my selfe should bear wit∣nesse. And I conceive so much pleasure to consider you in your Glo∣ry, that there is not any Souldier beyond the Mountaines under your Command, whose good fortune I do not envie.

I forbeare not therefore, My Lord, since I cannot serve you with my body and my actions, to adore you night and day in my thoughts, and to employ so deser∣ved a worship the noblest part of my selfe. You are next after the King the Eternall object of my mind; I scarce ever divert it from the course of your Life; and if you have more diligent Courtiers then I, and which render you their re∣spects with more shew and ostenta∣tion,

I am certaine you have not a∣ny servant more faithfull, nor whose affection comes more from the heart, or is more lively and na∣turall: But that my words may not seem vain and groundlesse, I send you the proofe of what I say, where∣by you shall know, that a man per∣swaded has a great inclination to perswade others, and that discourse grounded upon things, and anima∣ted with truth, moves the minds of men with more force, and pro∣cures more credit and beliefe, then that which busy's it selfe to coun∣terfeit only and declame.

It is a part My Lord, drawne from its body, a piece which I have snatched from the labours I have undertaken: To whose perfection I protest freely, that all the houres of leisure more quiet then mine, and all the powers and faculties of

a Soule more elevated then ordi∣narily, had found enough where∣with to be imployed. Here are handled the vertue and victories of the King; the Justice of his Armes: Royalty, and Tyranny: 'Tis a discourse of usurpers and of lawfull Princes, of Rebellion cha∣stis'd, and Libertie maintain'd: But seeing the Prince, of whom I speak, makes no stop, and that fol∣lowing him I must needs ingage my selfe into an infinite subject, I have prescrib'd my selfe some bounds which I could not meet with in his actions; And after the Example of Homer, who ended his Iliads with the death of Hector, though then there was not an end of the warre, I would not proceed further then the ta∣king of Suza, though it was but the beginning of those wonders

which we have seene. Now, your Lordship knowes, that this wa•• of writing which I have proposed to my self, is, without comparison the barrennest that is, and which can hardly continue active, o•• make any durable onsets. This prayse is given to Oratours; t•• those I say that know how to per∣swade; who can please with profi∣ting; who render people capable of the secrets of civill pollicie. For as for Philosophers who hav•• written thereof, their discourse i•• commonly so dry and saplesse; tha•• their intention seemes to be rather to instruct, then to please; and be∣sides their style is so intricate and thorny, that it seemes they are wil∣ling to teach none but the learned. This hath no more difficulty in it, then to heale those that are well; and to be obscure there is no more

requir'd then to stay at the first no∣tions which wee have of truth, which are never very neate nor well extracted, and which fall from the fancie upon the paper in the same confusion they are first presented to it, resembling rather deformed abortions, then perfect productions. Besides, in the com∣posure of a Historie where the Poli∣tician beares rule, an Authour is carryed by his matter, and the things being done ready to his hand, which easeth him of the trou∣ble of Invention, as the progresse of time gives him his order, hee is scarce bound to any thing else then to contribute words: which some have accounted so small; that Me∣nander being prest to put forth a piece that hee had promised, It is already, said he, there wants one∣ly the words. But in the perswa∣sive

way, besides that wee must make use of the choisest words, and place them with greater evennesse then in bare narrations, which for all their luster and richnesse of ex∣pression desire onely the perspicuity and propriety of the tearmes. Those that desire to succeed effectually herein, force themselves to put in use, & to reduce into action the most subtile Ideas of Rhetoricke; to raise their reason to the highest point of things; to seek out in every mat∣ter things least exposed to the com∣mon view, and to render them se•• familiar, that those that cannot perceive them, may yet touch them. Their designe is to joyne pleasure with profit, to mingle delight with plenty, and to fight not onely with good and strong armes, but also with faire and glittering ones. They try to civilize Learning,

changing it from the fashion of the Colledge, and delivering it out of the hands of Pedants who spoile, and defile it in the handling; who are, as we may so say, its Corrupters and Adulterers, ••••d abuse in the face of all the world a thing so faire and excellent: They never defend themselves from rockes, by turning from them, but try to slide gently over them: to escape out of difficult places and not to avoid them: to goe before malicious In∣terpreters by a word which de∣stroyes the conclusion they thought to draw thence; and to make it ap∣peare that there is nothing so harsh, nothing so distastfull which is not tempered and made soft by dis∣course. At last they suffer them∣selves sometimes to be carried a∣way with that rationall fury which Rhetoritians know very well;

but which is beyond their rules and precepts: which moves the Ora∣tour with such strange passions, that they seeme rather inspir'd then naturall, and with which Demosthenes ••nd Cicero being possess'd, the one swore by those that dyed at Marathon, and dei∣fied them by his owne private Au∣thoritie: The other ask'd the Hills and Forrests of Alba, as if it had been their duty to answer him. But if I were arrived to so noble a height, which I neither dare, nor can believe, and could I shew strange Nations, that in France all things are changed into the bet∣ter under so happy a raigne as that of the Kings, and that hee aug∣ments our wit, as well as increa∣seth our Courage, I should not for all this deserve the glory, but I must referre it wholly to the felici∣ty,

of my times and to the force of my subject.

If in all cases My Lord, I can∣not obtain a place among knowing and skilfull men, I will not be deny∣ed one amongst honest and affectio∣nate Servants; and if my Capa∣citie be not worthy to be had in con∣sideration of, by you, my zeale at least deserves not to be rejected. Certainly I am many times so mo∣ved, that I doubt not but my re∣sentments please you, and it is a pleasant recreation for you to be∣hold a Philosopher in anger. And though true love bee sufficiently content with the Testimony of the conscience, and I render you many proofes of my most humble service, that I assure my selfe you could ne∣ver know, I desire neverthelesse some times for your satisfaction, that you could heare me from the

place where you are, and see with what advantage I dispute the pub∣like cause: How I confute the false Newes which are made currant, and how I stop their mouthes that would speake disadvantageously of our affaires: It is certain they cannot be more flourishing, nor the successe of the Kings Army more glorious, nor the rest of the people more assur'd, nor your administra∣tion more judicious. And yet wee meet with some spirits who are vexed at their own good, who can∣not indure their happinesse, nor be kept in a good beliefe but by super∣naturall prosperities, who have no more faith assoone as there ceaseth to be a miracle. When the present affaires are in good condition they make evill judgements of the fu∣ture, and in prosperous events their presages are alwaies tragicall; they

sweare they esteeme nothing but strangers and forraigne things: They admire Spinola, because he is an Italian and not of their Par∣ty; and they are troubled to praise the King because hee is a French∣man and their Master; they will scarce confesse hee hath conquer'd after so many Cities taken, so ma∣ny Factions ruin'd, who are the e∣ternall Monuments of his Victo∣ries, and it hath been easier for him to merit esteeme over all Europe, then to gain their approbation. They would perswade us if they could, that he had rais'd the siege from before Rochell, and made a dishonourable peace with the Hu∣genotes; that he hath been beaten by the English, and that the Spa∣niards have made him flee: If they could they would blot out his History, and quench the greatest

splendour which ought to enligh∣ten posterity. I doubt not but they looke with evill eyes in any Booke upon the Images of things which so greatly offend them: And those that believe Fables & Romances, and grow extream passionate for a Hercules or an Achilles, who it is possible never were; who are transported when they reade the Actions of Roland, and Ren∣nould, which were acted onely up∣pon the paper, will not rellish Truth because it beares witnesse to the vertue of their Prince. They will be content, that against the faith of all Antiquity, Xenophon who was a Grecian, and no Per∣sian hath dreamt out a life of Cy∣rus according to his fancy, and that he makes him dye in his bed, a∣mong his friends, though the truth is, that he dyed in the warre and

was overcome by a woman.

They allow that Pliny should lye in a full Senate, and praise Trajan for his Temperance and Chastity, though it be true that he was gi∣ven to wine, and to another vice so foule, that it cannot honestly bee named; and yet they take it ill that being born the Kings Subject, I speak of him what no body can de∣ny, and that resolving to present an example to Princes, I chuse ra∣ther his life, then Cyrus'es which is fabulous, or then that of Trajan which is not very cleane: Not to speake of Caesar Borgia's all black with Crimes and lazi∣nesse: Heaven cannot make these people a Superior to please them; He that was after Gods own heart, would not bee after theirs: They would not find Solomon wise e∣nough, nor Alexander valiant

enough. They are generally ene∣mies to all Masters, and the Ac∣cusers of all present businesses; they will breake a mans head with cry∣ing, that it was not necessary t•• make warre in Italy; but if you had staid at Paris, they had cryed louder, that it had bin dishonesty to suffer his Allyes to be lost. Be∣cause some of our Kings have made unfortunate voyages beyond the Mountaines, therefore they main∣tain that he who followes not the same Counsels, must neverthelesse fall into the same misfortunes They fight against your managing of businesses with old Proverbs, be∣cause they cannot touch it with good reasons: They alleadge that Italy is the buriall place of the French, and being not able to ob∣serve one fault that you have com∣mitted in that Countrey, they re∣proach

you with that of our Fa∣thers, and accuse you of the im∣prudence of CHARLES the eight. I suppose they sinne rather out of infirmitie, then malice; that they are rather passionate through their opinions, then Pen∣sionaries of our Enemies; and that they have more need of the Reme∣dies of Phisick, then of those of the Lawes.

Therefore it is a vexation to see the Impertinents of this Age hold the same language with the Rebels of the pass'd, and to abuse the benefit of Liberty against him that hath procured it for us. They come every day to tell me that wee shall receive much disadvan∣tage from the discontent of a Prince which is separated from us; and I answer them, it is much better to have a weake Enemy to

combate with, then a querulous friend to preserve.

They will have the King at any rate to relieve Cazal, and I say he hath done it already by the Con∣quest of Savoy, and in the condi∣tion hee hath now put his affaires, at the worst, it will be taken onely to be surrendred againe. They are not content to have you execute extraordinary actions, They would have you doe impossible ones: And though there grow sometimes such difficulties in things which cannot be surmounted by reason of the repugnancy of the Subject, and not for the default of the under∣taker, they are not answered with those reasons wherewith wise men rest satisfied, and many times would have the King doe that which the great Turke and the Persian joyn'd together cannot d••.

All this, My Lord, would cause in mee a great indignation, neither should I bee able to indure that excesse of Ingratitude, but that I know there was a malicious spirit which found fault with the workes of God, and was not afraid to say, that had he bin of his Counsell, as well in the Creation of the world, as in the Government of it, he could have given him better advice then he had taken, and then usually he followed. Af∣ter so high a folly you neede not think it strange that some men are extravagant; The Common People have alwayes beene an unequall Judge of vertue; but yet she hath never wanted admi∣rers; and if those who have no∣thing but a little Instinct, and can onely murmure are not favour∣able to her, it is our part My

Lord to beare witnesse that reason∣able men, and those that know how to speake are of the good Party.

Your most humble and most obe∣dient Servant Balzac.

Aug. 4. 1630.