The Spanish princess Leonina (whom Balzac delivers the ornament of the last age) was wise; who, hearing a post was sent to tell her her husband was dead, and knowing the secretary was in the way for that purpose, sent to stay the post till the arrival of the secretary, that she might not be obliged to shed tears twice. Of ill things the less we know the better. Curiosity would here be as vain as if a cuckold should inquire whether it were upon the couch or a bed, and whether the cavalier pulled off his spurs first or not.
I must confess it is a just subject for our sorrow to hear of any that does quit his station without his leave that placed him there; and yet, as ill a mien as this act has, 'twas a-la-Romansci, as you may see by a line of Master Shakespeare's who, bringing in Titinius after a lost battle, speaking to his sword, and bidding it find out his heart, adds—
'By your leave, gods, this [is] a Roman's part.'
'Tis true, I think cloak-bag strings were not then so much in fashion; but to those that are not swordmen the way is not so despicable; and, for mine own part, I assure you Christianity highly governs me in the minute in which I do not wish with all my heart, that all the discontents in his majesty's three kingdoms would find out this very way of satisfying themselves and the world.
VI
Sir,
Since the settling of your family would certainly much conduce to the settling of your mind (the care of the one being the trouble of the other), I cannot but reckon it in the number of my misfortunes, that my affairs deny me the content I should take to serve you in it.
It would be too late now for me (I suppose) to advance or confirm you in those good resolutions I left you in, being confident your own reason hath been so just to you, as long before this to have represented a necessity of redeeming time and fame, and of taking a handsome revenge upon yourself for the injuries you would have done yourself.
Change, I confess (to them that think all at once) must needs be strange, and to you hateful, whom first your own nature, and then custom, another nature, have brought to delight in those narrow and uncouth ways we found you in. You must therefore consider that you have entered into one of those near
