“Thomas Hobbes to (the Earl of Newcastle).
“1635, August 25. Paris.—I have receaved your Lordships guift, proportioned to your owne goodnesse, not to my service. If the world saw my little desert, so plainely as they see your great rewards, they might thinke me a mountibancke and that all that I do or would do, were in the hope of what I receave. I hope your Lordship does not thinke so, at least let me tell your Lordship once for all, that though I honour you as my Lord, yet my love to you is just of the same nature that it is to Mr. Payne, bred out of private talke, without respect to your purse. Your letters since my comming abroad have bene great testimonies of your favor, and great spurres of my endeavor, but it seemes your Lordships thinkes silver spurres have a greater effect, which is an error, but such a one as I see more reason to thanke you for, then to confute, and therefore with my most humble thankes I end this point.
“I told Mr. Benjamin and Monsieur de Pre—who is Monsieur Benjamin’s eldest sonne, and teaches under his father—of the faults your Lordship found in the horse. For the opening his mouth, they confesse it, and say that when he was young and first began to be dressed he put out his head too much, which they that dressed him endeavoring to amend, for want of skill, did by a great bitte convert into this other fault of gaping. For his feete they obstinately deny that he has any fault in them at all, and do suppose that the journey may have hurt him, or his wearinesse made it seeme so. That he has no other ayre but corvettes, is a thing your Lordship was made acquainted with before. The greatest fault is his price, which price adding the forty pounds you gave me, is a very good reason why he should hence forward be called Le Superbe.”
“Thomas Hobbes to (the Earl of Newcastle).
“Paris. 1636, July 29. I am sorry your Lordship finds not so good dealing in the world as you deserve. But my Lord, he that will venture to sea must resolve to endure all weather, but for my part I love to keepe a’land. And it may be your Lordship now will do so to, whereby I may have the happinesse which your Lordship partly promises me in the end of your letter, to conferre meditations for a good time together, which will be not onely honor to me, but that happinesse which I and all that are in love with knowledge, use to fancy to themselves for the true happinesse in this life.”
“The Same to the Same, at Welbeck.
“Mr. Payne willed me to go to Mr. Warner who lives but eight miles off, to get his answer to certayne letters of his, but one while the frost, and at other times the flouds, made the wayes impassable for any but very ranke riders, of which I was never any. I have a cold that makes me keepe my chamber, and a chamber—in this thronge of company that stay Christmas here—that makes me keepe my cold.”
The greater part of the letters of Hobbes consists of disquisitions upon certain matters connected with optics, and especially upon some experiments made by Warner. They go far to show that Newcastle was interested in science, as well as in literature, pictures, and music. Hobbes also frequently expresses pleasant anticipations of discussions on philosophy with Newcastle when he shall visit him at Welbeck.