Paris Ape 3
Directed,
Forr the Right Honble the Marchioness
of Worcester these
humbly
Jesus + Mi~a September 6 1670
Noble Madam—
The Grace of the Holy-ghost be with you.
The great esteeme and honour wch I have euer had for your Ladysp hath all waise made mee prompt and willing to serve you to the best of my power, without the bias of selfe interest, as your selfe can witnesse; And because I feare that at present, your Honour hath noe one, that in the greate concernes, which you have in hand, will tell you the truth, as it often happens to persons of greate quality: I have thought it the part of my Priestly function, and fidelity towards yor Hor: (haveing first in my poore prayers, humbly commended it to Alm: God) to represent unto you, that wch all your friends know to bee true, as well as myselfe, and would be willing that your Ladysp should know it likewise.
Alm: God hath Madam put you into a happy, and flourishing condition, fitt and able to serue God, and to doe much good to your selfe and others; and your Ladysp makes yourselfe unhappy, by seeming not to be contented with your condition but troubling your spiritts with many thoughts of attayning to greater dignityes and riches.
Madam all those that wish you well, are greeued to see your Ladysp to bee allready soe much disturbed & weakened in your iudgment & in danger to loose the right use of your reason, if you doe not tymely endeauour to preuent it, by ceasing to goe on with such high designes, as you are vppon, which I declare to you, in the faith of a Priest to bee true: The cause of your present distemper, and of the aforesayd danger, is doubtlesse, that your thoughts and imagination are very much fixed on the title of Plantagenet, and of disposing yourselfe for that greate dignity by getting of greate sums of money from the king, to pay your deceased Lords debts, and enriching your selfe by the great Machine and the like. Now Madam how vnproper such undertakings are for your L. and how vnpossible for you to effect them, or any one of them, all your friends can tell you if they please to discover the trueth to you.
The ill effects that flow from hence are many: as the danger of looseing your health and iudgment by such violent application of your fancies in such high designes and ambitious desires; the probability of offending Alm: God and preiudising your owne soule thereby: the advantage you may thereby give to those who desire to make a prey of your fortune, and to rayse themselves by ruining of you: the spending greate sums of money in rich and sumptuous things wch are not suteable to the gravity of your Ladysp and present condition of Widdow-hoode and mourning for your deceased Lord.