The Anglo-French Entente In The Seventeenth Century Part 4

[74] _A Sure Guide to the French Tongue_, 1635.

[75] _French Grammar_, 1662.

[76] _Dictionary_, 1677.

[77] _Nouvelle Grammaire Angloise_, 1678.

[78] _A New French Grammar_, 1675.

[79] _Relation d'un voyage_, pp. 20, 169 (1664).

[80] See Chap. VII.

[81] Bochart, _Lettre a M. Morley_, p. 7.

[82] _Journal de Henri IV._, i. p. 354.

[83] See Chap. VIII.

[84] _Nouvelles ordinaires de Londres_, p. 1550.

[85] _Ibid._ p. 956.

[86] _French Grammar_, p. 288.

[87] _Diary_, 8th July 1686.

[88] See the letters of De la Motte and De Luzancy, printed in Chap. III.

[89] See Chap. IX.

[90] Saint-Evremond, _Works_, x. xxiii.

[91] _New State of England_, ii. p. 15.

[92] _Journal de Henri IV._, p. 526.

[93] Reprinted by Dr. Brotanek, Halle, 1905.

[94] E. Gordon Duff, _English Provincial Printers_, p. 58.

[95] Beaumont and Fletcher, _Women Pleased_, Act IV. Sc. 3.

[96] See Chap. III.

[97] Gildersleeve, _Government Regulations of the Elizabethan Drama_, p.

70.

[98] _Poems on State Affairs_, ii. p. 152.

[99] Butler, _Pindarick Ode to the Happy Memory of the most renowned Du Val_.

[100] Chap. III.

CHAPTER III

SPECIMENS OF ENGLISH, WRITTEN BY FRENCHMEN[101]

MERIC CASAUBON

The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (1635)

The chiefest subject of this booke is, the vanity of the world and all worldly things, as wealth, honour, life, etc., and the end and scope of it, to teach a man how to submit himselfe wholly to G.o.d's providence, and to live content and thankfull in what estate or calling soever. But the booke, I doubt not, will sufficiently commend itselfe, to them who shall be able to read it with any judgement, and to compare it with all others of the same subject, written either by Christians or Heathens: so that it be remembered that it was written by a Heathen; that is, one that had no other knowledge of any G.o.d, then such as was grounded upon naturall reasons meerely; no certaine a.s.surance of the Immortality of the soule; no other light whereby hee might know what was good or bad, right or wrong, but the light of nature, and humane reason.... As for the Booke itselfe, to let it speake for itselfe; In the Author of it two maine things I conceive very considerable, which because by the knowledge of them, the use and benefit of the Booke may be much the greater then otherwise it would be, I would not have any ignorant of. The things are these: first, that he was a very great man, one that had good experience of what he spake; and secondly, that he was a very good man, one that lived as he did write, and exactly (as farre as was possible to a naturall man) performed what he exhorted others unto.

(_Marcus Aurelius, His Meditations, translated out of the Originall Greeke, with Notes._ London. 1635.

Preface.)

_On Reason_ (1655)

I think that man that can enjoy his natural wit and reason with sobriety, and doth affect such raptures and alienations of mind, hath attained to a good degree of madnesse, without rapture, which makes him so much to undervalue the highest gift of G.o.d, Grace excepted, sound Reason. It made Aristotle deny that any divination, either by dreams or otherwise, was from G.o.d, because not ignorant only, but wicked men also were observed to have a greater share in such, then those that were noted for either learning or piety. And truly I think it is not without some providence of G.o.d that it should be so; that those whom G.o.d hath blessed with wisdome, and a discerning spirit, might the better content themselves with their share, and be the more heartily thankfull. And in very deed, sound Reason and a discerning spirit is a perpetual kind of divination: as also it is somewhere called in the Scriptures.

(_A Treatise concerning Enthusiasme_, London, 1655, pp.

46-47.)

[Born in Geneva, in 1599, Meric Casaubon was educated in Sedan, followed his father Isaac to the Court of James I. and settled in England where he became prebendary of Canterbury.]

QUEEN HENRIETTA

_Queen Henrietta of France to Prince Charles (April 15, 1646)_

DEARE CHARLES,--Having reseauved a lettre from the King[102] I have dispatch this berear, Dudley Wiatt to you, with the copie of the lettre, by which you may see the King's command to you and to me. I make no doubt that you will obey it, and suddeyneley; for sertainly your coming hither is the securitie of the King your father. Therfor make all the hast you can to showe yourself a dutifull sonne, and a carefull one, to doe all that is in your power to serve him: otherwise you may ruine the King and yourself.

Now that the King is gonne from Oxford, whether to the Scotch or to Irland, the Parliament will, with alle ther power, force you to come to them. Ther is no time to be lost, therfor loose none, but come speedeley. I have writt more at large to Milord Culpepper, to show it to your Counsell. Ile say no more to you, hoping to see you shortley. I would have send you Harry Jermin but he is goinge to the Court with some commands from the King to the Queen-Regente.

Ile adde no more to this but that I am your most affectionat mother,

HENRIETTE MARIE R.

For me dearest Sonne.[103]

MAUGER