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in so good a health, that she hath the courage to thinke of a jorney beyond sea. In
good faith, Madam, as the world goeth in your island, I doe imagine, you could as
happily and quietly end your dayes in these parts amongst some of your obedient
children as there, where publique and private troubles have agitated you till now.
As for howses fit for such a family, I make account your ladyship may be served
here at her ease for 60, 70 or 80 pound a yeare, more or lesse, as she shall thinke
fit herselfe. If it please your ladyship to let me know, of what and how many and
how large roomes you would desire to bee accommodated, I will make your ladyship
acquainted of what is to bee had here at the Haghe, which, you may beleeve, Madam,
to bee one of the sweetest and handsomest dwellings of the world. But, as I have
understood here, your ladyships intention should be to live in one family with your
sonne 1) and daughter in law. If so bee, another course is to be taken, for they seeme
to have a mind to live at Maestricht, which is more then a hundred mile from hence,
in an excellent aire indeed, but as far from the Queen of Bohemia as the Haghe
from thence, and no such conversation there, nor such pictures, nor such performes,
nor such musicke as we are able to afford you here. To be short, Madam, if your
ladyship doe us the honour to passe the seas, we will endeavour to make you passe
your time in such a manner, that the old good dayes of Lothbury howse will somtimes
come backe into your memory. In this I entreate your ladyship to let me keepe a
corner, upon that ground, that I am allwayes, as allwayes I have been ..... 4/14 Oct.
1655.
I thinke the bearer of this will bee my young cousin Snouckart 2) , whose grandfather,
the ambassador Joachimi, and uncle, M. de Mayerne 3) , have had the honour te bee
acquainted with your ladyship. He is a youth of a notable estate and I alone left his
tutor 4) .
5433. Christiaan Huijgens 5)
. (L.B.)
Ons geld is op. Gisteren hebben wij gegeten bij den heer de Chambonière 6) , waar
een groot gezelschap bijeen was. A Paris, 15 Octobre 1655.
5434. Aan H.G. van Stein Callenfels 7)
. (K.A.)
A raison de la place que je tiens au Conseil, j'ouvre sans retenue toutes les lettres
adressées au college qui tombent entre mes mains. Venant de lire en suitte celle
que vous avez trouvé bon de nous escrire le 16 e de ce mois, je n'ay pas voulu
differer de vous dire, en la supprimant, que si vous desirez
1) Bedoeld is zeker Sir Thomas Killigrew († 1683), die in 1655 in den Haag trouwde met Charlotte
van Hesse.
2) Zie III, blz. 234. - Hij was nu 18 jaar oud.
3) Zie I, blz. 63. - Zijne tweede vrouw heette Elizabeth Joachimi.
4) Zie III, blz. 234. - Maurits Huygens en J. Sherwouters (vgl. II, blz. 252) waren de andere
voogden geweest.
5) Uitgegeven in Oeuvres complètes de Christiaan Huygens, I, blz. 356.
6) Zie blz. 20.
7) Zie II, blz. 391.
Constantijn Huygens, Briefwisseling. Deel 5: 1649-1663